IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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U  WHT  MUUN  »TMIT 

WIMTM,M.Y.  14M0 

(7U)I71*4I0I 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Inatituta  for  Hiatorical  Microraproductiont  /  Inatitut  Canadian  de  microraproductiont  liiatoriquaa 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tachniquaa  at  bibliographiquaa 


The  inttituT«  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
reproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


□ 


D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couieur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagte 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurAe  et/ou  peliiculAe 


I      I   Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


□   Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  giographlquas  en  couieur 

□   Coloured  Ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couieur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

r~n   Coloured  plates  and/or  iliuatrationa/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  an  couieur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Rail*  avac  d'autres  documents 


rri   Tight  binding  may  cauae  ihadows  or  distortion 


along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  llure  serrAe  peut  cauaar  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 

diatortion  le  long  de  la  marge  IntAriaure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  theae 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  aJoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaiaaent  dans  le  texte, 
mais.  lorsque  cela  4tait  poaaibla,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  4t«  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmantairas; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  M  poaaibla  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
da  cat  exemplaire  qui  sent  peut-*tre  uniques  du 
point  de  v")e  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  un9 
modification  dana  la  mAthoda  normale  de  filmage 
aont  Indiquia  ci-dessous. 


r~~|   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


This  Item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  oheoked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  rMuctton  indiqu*  oi-deaaous. 


Pagea  de  couieur 

Pagea  damaged/ 
Pagea  andommagAas 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restauries  et/ou  pelliculAes 

Pagea  discoloured,  stained  or  foxe« 
Pages  dAcolories.  tachatAes  ou  piquAas 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachies 

Showthrough> 
Tranaparance 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualit*  inAgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  material  aupphlmantaira 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponible 


I — I  Pagea  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~n  Pagea  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I     I  Pages  detached/ 

r~;n  Showthrough/ 

rn  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

r~1  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


Pagea  wholly  or  partially  obacurod  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Lea  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obacurcias  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  AtA  filmAes  A  nouveau  de  fa^on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


s 
1 


b 
ri 
n 
n 


10X 

14X 

itx 

22X 

MX 

aox 

7 

12X 

itx 

am 

UK 

aix 

au( 

Th*  oopy  fllmad  h«r«  hat  b««n  r«produc«d  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library 
Agrieuhura  Canada 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grica  i  la 
ginArosit*  da: 

Bibliothique 
Agrlcultura  Canada 


Tha  Imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
posaibia  conaMarlng  tha  condition  and  laglbility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  In  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacif icationa. 


Las  imagaa  suivantaa  ont  4ti  raproduitas  avac  la 
pi*!*  grand  toin,  compta  tanu  da  ia  condition  at 
da  ia  nattat*  da  l'axamplaira  fiimi,  at  an 
conformit*  avac  las  conditiona  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  coi^taa  in  printad  papar  eovars  ara  fiimad 
baginning  with  tha  front  eovar  and  anding  on 
tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
ak>n.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  Ail 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  fHmad  baginning  on  tha 
firat  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa> 
aion.  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  impraaalon. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  aach  mieroflcha 
ahaH  contain  tha  symbol  ^^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUID"),  or  tha  symbol  ▼  (mooning  "tND"h 
whichavar  appNaaa 


l.aa  axampiairas  originaux  dont  ia  couvartura  9n 
papiar  ast  imprim^a  aont  filmto  an  commandant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darniAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
dimpraaaion  ou  dlliustration,  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  aalon  la  cas.  Toua  las  autraa  axampialras 
originaux  sont  filmto  an  commanpant  par  la 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'lHustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
ia  darniAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  talia 
amprainta. 

Un  daa  symbolaa  suh/ants  apparaftra  sur  la 
damlAra  imaga  da  cliaqua  mieroflcha.  salon  la 
oaa:  la  symbda  -^  signifia  "A  SUIVRE",  la 
symbolo  V  signifia  "FIN". 


Maps,  plataa.  charts,  ate.,  may  ba  fMmad  at 
diffarant  reduction  ratloa.  Thoaa  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  expoeure  era  fHmad 
beginning  In  the  upper  left  hend  comer,  loft  to 
right  end  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framee  aa 
required.  The  following  diegrama  illustrate  the 


Lee  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  Atre 
film4e  A  dee  taux  da  rMuction  difftrents. 
Lorsque  ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  soul  clichA.  11  est  filmA  A  partir 
da  i'angle  supArleur  geuche.  do  gauche  A  droKe. 
et  do  haut  an  boa,  en  prenant  la  nombra 
d'imagae  nAoeeaaire.  Lee  diegrammea  suhranta 
INuatrent  ia  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

»x 


1  2  2 

4        s        e 


SMITHSONIAN   INSTITUTION. 

UNITED    STATES    NATIONAL    MUSEUM. 


VP 


THE    BIRDS   OF    MANITOBA. 


By 


ERNEST  E.  THOMPSON,  of  Toronto,  Canada, 

AuociaU  Mimbtr  Amtruam  OrHitkehgutt'  Unitn^  tte. 


From  tha  HrocMdliiRt  of  th*  United  Sutea  National  MuMum,  Vol.  XIII.  imcm  tn-^M. 

with  plate  XXXVIII.  ii»«"-«5r««i 

[No.  841.] 


WASHINGTON! 

OOVKKNMBNT  PRINTINO  OFPICI. 

1891. 


.^^■' 


THE  BIRDS  OF  MANITOBA.* 


uv 

Ernest  E.  Thompson,  of  Toronto,  Canada, 

Associate  Member  American  Ornithologists^  Union,  etc. 

(With  plate  XXXVIII.) 

INTEODUCTION. 
BOTTNDARIES  OF  THE  FROVINCB  OF  M\NITOBA. 

In  treating  of  the  birds  of  this  region  it  seemed  most  convenient  to 
make  the  political  boundaries  of  the  province,  those  also  of  the  district 
included,  though  this  is  scarcely  defensible  from  the  scientific  standpoint. 
According  to  the  Revised  Statutes  of  Canada,  1886,  chapter  47,  the  boun- 
daries of  the  province  of  Manitoba  were  fixed  briefly  as  follows :  On  the 
south,  at  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  which  is  the  interna- 
tional boundary  line ;  on  the  west  by  a  line  along  the  middle  of  the 
road  allowance  between  the  twenty-ninth  and  thirtieth  ranges  of  town- 
ships west  of  the  first  principal  meridian,  which  line  falls  between  101° 
and  102°  longitude  west  of  Greenwich ;  on  the  north  by  the  middle  of 
the  road  allowance  of  the  twelfth  base  line,  which  is  north  latitude 
52°  50';  on  the  east  by  the  meridian  of  the  northwest  angle  of  the  Lake 
of  the  Woods  which,  according  to  Professor  Hind  is  96°  50'  longitude 
west  of  Greenwich. 

In  preparing  my  own  map  full  use  has  been  made  of  the  maps  pub- 


*Iu  offering  the  followingobservations  in  their  present  shape,  i.  e.,  as  they  were  made 
on  the  spot,  without  material  condensation  or  generalization,  I  believe  that  I  have 
taken  not  merely  the  best  but  the  only  right  course  under  the  circumstances.  My 
original  plan,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  "notes"  throughout,  was  to  prepare  something 
after  a  very  old-fashioned  model,  but  widening  experience  caused  a  considerable 
change  of  view.  No  one  regrets  more  than  myself  their  imperfectuess,  and,  in  some 
caHes  which  I  have  pointed  out,  their  unreliability.  If  I  could  see  my  way  clear  to 
revisit  Manitoba  in  the  near  future  I  would  gladly  defer  publication  in  the  hope  that 
I  might  first  remove  numerous  doubts  and  fill  many  unfortunate  blnnlts,  but  under 
existing  circumstances  there  seems  to  be  no  course  but  to  carefully  revise  my  old 
jcxirnal  and  let  it  go  forth  for  judgment. 

My  own  observations  are  supplemented  by  those  of  numerous  observers  in  various 
parts  of  the  province,  and  I  have  also  endeavored  tn  include  all  available  records  relat- 
ing to  distribution  and  all  valuable  published  matter  relating  to  the  ornithology  of 
Manitoba  that  has  not  appeared  in  a  special  work  on  birds.  This  excludes  only  Dr. 
Coues's  field  notes    »    »    •    forty-ninth  parallel,  which,  however,  is  constantly  cited. 

In  all  the  records  I  have  given  the  exact  words  of  the  writer  arc  <iuoted. 

Altogether  I  spent  about  3  years  in  the  province,  my  first  visit  extending  from 
March  28,  1882,  to  November  16,  188;l ;  my  second  from  April  25,  1884.  to  January  27, 
1885;  my  third  from  October  2r>,  1886,  to  January  12, 1887,  broken  only  by  oocasioual 


Prooeaillngt  Nstionsl  Museum,  Vol.  XIII No.  841. 


4&7 


33353 


458 


THE    BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


!'i 


■M 


lished  by  Professor  Hind  ir  1860,  by  the  Dominion  Government  in  1874^ 
and  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Company  at  various  times  be- 
tween 1880  and  1890,  also  those  drawn  by  Mr.  Sbawe  for  Phillip's  Im- 
perial Atlas,  and  those  issued  by  the  Tenth  Census  Report  of  the 
United  States.  I  have  also  supplemented  these  by  information  gained 
in  my  own  travels,  as  well  as  that  supplied  me  by  Messrs.  Tyrrell,  Nash, 
Maconn,  Christy,  and  other  observers. 


A 


PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  PEOVINCB. 

The  general  features  of  the  country  have  been  ably  and  concisely 
described  by  Dr.  Dawson  in  the  report  of  the  boundary  commission 
(1875),  as  follows : 

The  first  or  loicett  prairie  level,  is  that  of  which  Ihe  southern  part  lies  along  the  Red 
River,  and  which,  northward,  embraces  Lake  Winnipeg  and  associated  lakes,  and 
the  flat  land  snrronnding  them.  A  great  part  of  its  eastern  border  is  con- 
terminous with  that  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  formed  by  the  rocky  front  of  the 
Lanrentian ;  but  east  of  the  Red  River  it  is  bounded  by  the  high  lying  drift 
terraces  surrounding  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  forming  a  part  of  the  drift 
plateau  of  northern  Minnesota.  To  the  west  it  is  limited  by  the  more  or  less  abrupt 
edge  of  the  second  prairie  level,  forming  an  escarpment,  which,  though  very  regular 
in  Bonio  places,  has  been  broken  turough  by  the  broad  valleyn  of  the  Assiniboine  and 
other  rivers.  The  escarpment,  where  it  crosses  the  line,  is  known  as  Pembina 
Mountain,  and  is  continued  northward  by  the  Riding,  Duck,  Porcupine,  and  Basqnia 
Hills.    The  average  heigat  above  the  sea  of  this  lowest  level  of  the  interior  conti- 

expeditions  outside  of  our  boundaries.    Carberry  was  my  headquarters,  and  except 
where  otherwise  stated  all  observations  were  made  at  that  place. 

My  companions,  whose  names  appear,  were  Mr.  Wm.  G.  A.  Bro<lie,  whose  untimely 
death  by  drowning  in  the  Assiniboine,  May,  1883,  robbed  Canada  of  one  of  her  most 
promising  young  naturalists;  my  brother.  Dr.  A.  S.  Thompson,  with  whom  I  lived, 
and  Mr.  Miller  Christy.  The  last  was  with  me  during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer 
of  1883  asd  again  for  a  few  days  in  the  July  of  1884.  He  was  the  first  ornithologist  of 
experience  that  I  had-  ever  met,  and  I  have  to  thank  him  for  correcting  in  me  many 
wrong  methods  of  study  that  naturally  were  born  of  my  isolation. 

My  thanks  are  due  to  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History ; 
Prof.  Robert  Ridgway,  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution ;  and  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam, 
ornithologist  to  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  for  the  identifloation  of  numer- 
ous specimens,  and  other  assistance,  and  especially  to  the  last  for  placing  at  my  dis- 
posal the  manuscripts  of  Miss  Yoemans,  Messrs.  Calcutt,  Criddle,  Nash,  Plnukett, 
Small,  and  Wagner;  to  Prof.  John  Macoun,  of  the  Canadian  Geological  Survey; 
Messrs.  Christy,  Nash,  Hine,  Hunter,  and  Querusey,  for  numerous  manuscripts, 
notes,  and  much  valuable  a  .sistance ;  to  Dr.  R.  Bell  and  Mr.  James  M.  Macoun,  both 
of  the  Canadian  Geological  Survey;  Dr  William  Brodie,  of  Toronto ;  Dr.  Charles 
Carpmael,  of  the  Canada  Meteorological  Department,  and  Mr.  Ernest  D.  Wentle,  of 
Montreal,  for  help  in  various  ways;  and  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  access  to 
the  Hutchins  manuscripts.  Indispensable  assistance  in  preparing  the  manuscript 
has  been  rendered  also  by  my  father,  Mr.  Joseph  L.  Thompson,  and  my  cousin,  Miss 
M.  A.  Burfield. 

The  measurements  throughout  are  in  English  inches. 

Ernest  E   Thompson, 
86  Howard  atreet,  I'oronto,  Ontario, 

July,  1890. 


VOL,  XIII.T 
1690.     J 


PROCEEDINGS    OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


459 


arten,  and  except 


nental  region  is  about  800  feet ;  the  lowest  part  being  that  Burronndiug  the  Winni- 
peg group  of  lakes,  which  have  an  elevation  of  about  700  feet.  From  this  it  slopes 
up  southward,  and  attains  its  greatest  elevation — 960  feet — at  its  termination  far 
south  in  Minnesota.  The  edges  of  this  prairie  level  are  also,  notwithstanding  its 
apparent  horizontality,  considerably  more  elevated  than  its  central  line,  whicb  is 
followed  by  the  Red  River.  Its  width  on  the  forty-ninth  parallel  in  ')nly  52  miles ; 
its  area,  north  of  that  line,  may  be  estimated  at  55,600  square  miles,  of  which  the 
great  system  of  lakes  iu  its  northern  part— including  Lakes  Winnipeg,  Manitoba, 
Winnipegosis,  Cedar,  and  St.  Martin's— occupy  13,900  miles.  A  great  part  of  this 
prairie  level  is  wooded  more  or  less  densely,  and  much  of  the  low-lying  land  near 
the  great  lakes  appears  to  be  swampy  and  liable  to  flood.  The  southern  part, 
extending  from  the  bouudary  line  nearly  to  the  south  end  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  includes 
the  prairie  of  the  Red  River  valley,  with  an  area  of  about  6,900  square  miles;  one  of 
the  most  fertile  regions,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  most  accessible  portion  of  the 
Northwest. 

The  superficial  deposits  of  this  stage  are  chiefly  those  of  a  great  lake  which  occu- 
pied its  area  after  the  glacial  submergence.  This  part  of  the  interior  of  the  conti- 
nent being  the  last  to  emerge  from  the  Arctic  waters  and  having  been  covered  for  a 
long  time  afterward  by  a  sea  of  fresh  \/ater,  held  back  either  by  drift  deposits  or  by 
rocky  barriers,  which  have  subsequently  been  cut  through,  and  which  must  have 
united  all  the  lakes  now  found  in  the  region  into  one  sheet  of  water,  which  extended 
with  narrower  dimensiouf)  about  200  miles  south  of  the  boundary  line. 

The  Red  and  the  Assiniboiue  Rivers  and  their  tributaries  have  not  yet  cut  very 
deeply  into  its  alluvial  deposits  and  its  surface  is  level  and  little  furrowed  by  denu- 
dation. 

The  second  steppe  of  the  plains  is  bounded  to  the  east,  as  already  indicated,  and  to 
the  west  by  the  Missouri  coteau,  or  edge  of  the  third  prairie  level.    It  has  a  width 
at  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of,  probably,  200  miles,  though  it  can  not  there  be  strictly 
I  defined.    Its  total  area  is  about  105,000  square  miles,  and  includes  the  whole  eastern 
portion  of  the  great  plains,  properly  so  called,  with  an  approximate  area  of  71,300 
square  miles.    These'occupy  its  southern  and  western  portions,  and  are  continuous 
westward  with  those  of  the  third  prairie  steppe.    To  the  south,  the  boundaries  of 
this  region  appear  to  become  more  indefinite,  and  in  the  southern  part  of  Dakota, 
the  three  primary  levels  of  the  country,  so  well  marked  north  of  the  line,  are  proba- 
bly scarcely  separable.    The  rivers  have  act«d  on  this  region  for  a  much  longer  time 
I  than  on  the  last-mentioned,  and  are  now  found  flowing  with  uniform  currents  in 
I  wide  ditch-like  valleys,  excavated  in  the  soft  material  of  the  plains,  and  often 
I  depressed  from  100  to  300  feet  below  the  general  surface.    Id  these  the  comparatively 
linsignificent  streams  wander  from  side  to  side,  in  tortuous  channels,  which  they  only 
[leave  iu  time  of  flood.    The  surface  of  this  prairie  steppe  isalso  more  diversified  than 
the  last,  being  broken  into  gentle  swells  and  undulations,  partly,  no  doubt,  by  the 
action  of  denudation,  and  partly,  also,  as  will  appear,  from  the  original  unequal  depo- 
Isition,  by  currents  and  ice,  of  the  drift  material  which  here  constitutes  the  super- 
Ificial  formation.    The  average  altitude  of  this  region  may  be  taken  at  1,600  feet, 
and  the  character  of  its  soil  and  its  adaptability  for  agriculture  differ  much  in  its 
[different  portions. 

The  third  or  highest  prairie  steppe  may  be  said  to  have  a  general  normal  altitude 
I  of  about  3,000  feet,  though  its  eastern  edge  is  sometimes  little  over  2,000  feet  and  it 
{attains  an  elevation  of  4,200  feet  at  the  foot  of  the  Rooky  Mountains. 

Obviously  none  of  the  third  steppe  would  fall  within  our  limits  were 
jit  not  for  a  curious  exception  that  is  presented  by  the  Turtle  Mountain, 
jwhich,  though  belonging  to  the  third  steppe,  stands  like  an  island  upon 
[the  open  sea  of  the  second.    Of  this  Dr.  Dawson  says : 

Turtle  Mountain,  an  outline  of  the  third  prairie  steppe,  is  a  broken,  hilly,  wooded 
I  region,  with  an  area  of  perhaps  about  20  miles  square  (400  square  miles),  and  slopes. 


460 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


gradoally  upward  from  the  plain  aroand  it,  above  which  it  is  elevated,  at  its  highest 
points,  about  500  feet.  It  appears  to  be  the  culmination  westward  of  the  hilly  drift 
region  previously  described,  and  forms  a  prominent  object  when  viewed  across  the 
eastern  prairie,  from  the  contrasting  somber  tint  of  the  foliage  of  its  woods.  Frciu 
the  west  it  can  be  seen  from  a  distance  of  45  miles,  and  when  thus  viewed  has  really 
much  the  general  outline  of  a  turtle  shell.    It  is  bisected  by  the  forty-ninth  parallel. 

According  to  Mr.  Tyrrell's  map,  the  altitudes  of  the  large  lakes,  etc., 
to  the  west  have  hitherto  been  given  fully  60  feet  too  low ;  as,  how- 
ever, I  am  without  corrected  figures  for  other  points  whose  altitudes  aie 
given,  I  have  elected  to  let  older  computations  stand,  and  they  may  be 
taken  as  relatively  correct. 

*'  The  sandhills,^^  so  often  referred  to,  are  certain  low  sand  dunes  that 
cover  a  considerable  extent  of  count  ry  in  the  vicinity  of  Oarberry. 
They  are  in  most  cases  low  undulations  rather  than  hills,  are  sparsely 
covered  with  grass  and  dotted  over  with  beautitul  clumps  of  trees, 
while  the  hollows  and  flats  are  diversified  with  lakelets  that  swarm  with 
waterfowl  and  lower  forms  of  life.  The  general  appeterance  of  the  sand- 
hills country  is  quite  park-like,  and  notwithstanding  its  unattractive 
name  this  region  as  a  whole  is  the  most  pleasing  to  the  eye  and  fullerot 
interest  and  varied  pleasure  for  the  naturalist  than  any  other  that  I 
have  seen  in  Manitoba.  "T/te  BigPlain^^  is  an  unusually  level  prairie 
extending  from  Oarberry  northward  about  30  miles. 

"  The  White  Horse  Plains^  form  a  similar  region  between  Shoal  Lake 
aud  the  Assiniboine. 

"  The  8ouri8  Plains  "  include  the  southwestern  corner  of  Manitoba  that 
is  drained  by  the  Sonris  River.  This  is  a  remarkably  level  region,  en- 
tirely cleared  of  trees  excepting  in  the  river  gorges,  and  diversified  by 
numerous  marshes  and  alkaline  flats. 

**  Bluff  ^^  is,  ill  Manitoban  parlauce,  the  name  applied  to  any  isolated 
grove  of  trees  on  the  prairie.  The  term  is  never  used  here,  as  in  the 
Western  States,  to  mean  an  abrupt  bank  or  escarpment. 

Distribution  of  forest  and  prairie. — All  that  portion  of  Manitoba  that 
lies  to  the  eastward  of  the  lowest  prairie  steppe,  as  above  deflned,  is  a 
rocky  Laurentian  region  full  of  rivers  and  lakes  of  fre^h  water,  and 
thickly  wooded,  being  within  the  limits  of  the  great  coniferous  forest. 
A  wide  strip  of  the  flat  country  lying  to  the  westward  of  Lake  Winni- 
peg, likewise  the  elevat  d  plateaus  of  Riding,  Duck,  and  Porcupine 
Mountains,  are  also  to  be  classed  as  parts  of  the  northern  forest.  There 
is  good  reason  for  believing  that  at  one  time,  not  very  remote,  the  rest 
of  Manitoba  was  covered  with  a  forest  of  aspens  or  poplai's  {Populus 
tremuliodes),  slightly  varied  by  oak  (Quercus  macrocarpa),  spruce  {Abies 
alba  et  nigra),  birch  {Betula  papyracea),  etc.,  which  has  been  removed  by 
Are,  so  that  trees  are  now  found  growing  only  in  snch  places  as  are  pro- 
te(;ted  from  the  fires  by  streams,  lakes,  marshes,  ot  sandy  tracts  where 
so  little  grass  grows  that  the  fire  can  not  travel ;  consequently,  notwith 
standing  the  prevalent  idea  of  Manitoba  as  a  purely  prairie  region,  there 
is  more  or  less  timber  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  country  as  indicated  on 


VOL   XIII 
1890 


] 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


461 


Shoal  Lake 


tbe  map.  Thus  I  have  endeavored  U>  niake  a  record  of  the  distribution 
of  forests  in  1885,  for  evidently  no  natural  feature  is  more  likely  to 
change  in  a  few  years  than  the  extent  of  woodlands.  The  line  limiting 
the  coniferous  forest  on  the  south  is  copied  from  the  forestry  map  issued 
with  the  Tenth  Census  report  of  the  United  States.  It  is  suspiciously 
straight  and  even,  but  is  doubtless  correct  when  understood  merely  a» 
a  broad  generalization.  I  regret  that  I  am  without  the  material  neces- 
sary to  define  this  limit  more  accurately.  To  the  southward  of  Gar- 
berry  is  a  small  isolated  forest  of  spruce  that  is  known  as  the  Spruce 
Bush  or  the  Oarberry  Swamp,  by  which  names  it  is  herein  referred  to. 

Water. — ^The  province  is  plentifully,  almost  too  plentifully,  supplied 
with  water.  In  addition  to  the  numerous  extensive  lakes  indicated  on 
the  map  are  thousands  more  of  smaller  extent,  while  the  region  of  the 
Bed  River  Valley  in  particular  is  diversified  by  vast  stretches  of  marsh 
and  lagoon.  The  various  lakes  are  of  two  kinds,  first  the  sweet  water 
or  live  water  lakes,  fed  and  drained  by  living  streams,  teeming  with  fish 
and  varying  in  size  from  that  of  a  mere  pond  to  that  of  Lake  Winne- 
peg ;  second,  the  alkaline  lakes,  which  nre  mere  drainage  basins  and 
depend  solely  on  evaporation  for  the  removal  of  their  accumulated 
waters. 

They  owe  their  alkaline  impregnation  not  to  anytLl  ig  of  the  nature 
of  salt-bearing  strata,  but  to  the  continual  influx  and  evaporation  of 
surface  water  very  slightly  impregnated  with  alkali  through  running 
over  the  prairies  strewn  with  the  ashes  of  the  annual  fires.  These  "  dead 
waters"  never,  so  far  as  I  know,  contain  fish,  but  they  are  usually 
swarming  with  a  species  of  amblystoma  aud  numerous  kinds  of  leeches 
and  aquatic  insects.  These  lakes  abound  on  the  prairies  aud  in  the 
sand  hills,  but  are  usually  of  very  small  extent.  They  have,  I  believe, 
several  peculiar  species  of  sedge,  and  are  especially  frequented  by  cer- 
tain kinds  of  birds  that  seem  to  avoid  the  fresher  waters,  e.  g.,  Baird's 
Sparrow,  Avocet,  etc. 

Salt  springs,  etc.— The  following  extract  from  Professor  Macoun's 
well-known  work  on  "  Manitoba  and  the  great  Northwest,  1883,"  will 
prove  an  interesting  item  of  physiography : 

Lying  farther  south  [than  the  Silurian],  and  possibly  underlying  the  greater  part  oi 
I  the  yrestern  side  of  the  Manitoba  Plain,  is  the  Devonian  Series.  These  rocks  are 
known  to  be  largely  developed  on  both  sides  of  Lakes  Manitoba  and  Winnepegosis. 
Numerous  salt  springs  are  found  in  connection  with  them,  and  during  the  last  sura- 
'  er  the  writer  saw  salt  springs  and  brooks  of  strong  brine  flowing  from  them  in 
various  localities  at  the  head  of  Lake  Winnepegosis.  The  subjoined  list  of  salt 
springs  known  to  occur  on  Lakes  Manitoba  and  Winnepegosis  may  tend  to  excite 
interest  in  these  extensive  deposits: 

1.  Crane  River,  Lake  Manitoba. 

2.  Waterhen  River,  Dickson's  Landing. 

3.  Salt  Point,  east  side  of  Lake  Winnepegosia. 

4.  Salt  Springs,  Winnepegosis. 

5.  Pine  River,  Winnepegosis. 

6.  Rivers  near  Duck  Bay. 


462 


THE   BIBDS  OF  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


7.  Turtle  River,  Lake  Daupbin. 

8.  Swan  or  Shoal,  two  localities. 

9.  Salt  River,  flowing  into  Dawaon'a  Bay. 

10.  Numerous  salt  springs  and  bare,  saturated  tracts  of  many  acres  in  extent  on 
Red  Deer  River,  wbich  flows  into  tbe  bead  cf  Dawson's  Bay,  Lake  Wiunepegosis. 
For  10  miles  up  this  river  salt  springs  are  quite  frequent,  and  excellent  salt  was  col- 
lected in  three  places,  where  it  formed  a  crust  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Some 
springs  wore  examined  where  a  respectable  rivulet  of  strong  brine  issued  from  them, 
as  clear  as  crystal,  and  evidently  quite  pure.  All  the  springs  and  marshes  seen  were 
bordered  with  seaside  plants,  and  one  of  them,  which  has  never  been  found  from  the 
seacoast  before  in  America,  was  found  In  abundance.  The  plant  referred  to  is  Sea- 
Side  Flantain  {Plantago  maritima). 

The  following  extract  from  Professor  Hind's  report  (1858)  shows  that 
this  line  of  saliferous  strata  goes  right  across  our  province : 

Near  and  west  of  Stony  Mountain  many  small  barren  areas  occur,  covered  with 
saline  efiSorescence ;  they  may  be  traced  to  tbe  Assiniboine,  and  beyond  that  river  in 
a  direction  nearly  due  south  to  La  Riviere  Sale  and  the  forty-ninth  parallel.  These 
saline  deposits  are  important,  as  they  in  all  probability  serve,  as  will  be  shown 
hereafter,  to  denote  the  presence  of  salt-bearing  rocks  beneath  them,  similar  to 
those  from  which  the  salt  springs  of  Swan  River,  Manitoba  Lake,  and  La  Riviere 
Sale  issue. 

Meteorology. — I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  the  material  necessary 
for  a  general  chapter  on  tbe  meteorology  of  Manitoba,  and  must  con- 
tent myself  with  a  few  statistics  taken  from  Professor  Bryce's  article  on 
Canada  in  the  Eucyclopsedia  Britannica. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  for  11  years,  (1871-1881,  inclusive), 
taken  near  Winnipeg,  was  33.06°,  the  maximum  95.34°,  the  minimum 
—  10.51°  ;  the  mean  amount  of  rain,  16  977  inches;  the  mean  amount  of 
snow,  52.72  inches ;  the  mean  total  precipitation  of  rain  and  snow, 
23.304  inches ;  the  mean  height  of  the  barometer,  29.153.  The  mean 
average  temp  eiature  for  the  years  1880  and  1881  was  as  follows:  Jan- 
uary, 20.9 ;  February,  3° ;  March,  9° ;  April,  30O.2 ;  May,  51°.2 ;  June, 
630.6 ;  July,  650.9 ;  August,  64°.8 ;  September,  51o.3;  October,  40° ;  Ko- 
v«mber,  14o.6;  December,  0°.6;  the  year,  82o.6. 

The  isotherms  indicated  on  the  map  were  taken  from  the  map  pre* 
pared  to  Professor  Macouns'  work. 

Topography. — The  topography  of  Manitoba  is  somewhat  perplexing 
through  the  duplication  of  names.  Many,  such  as  Pelican  Lake,  Swan 
Lake,  Shoal  Lake,  Bat  Creek,  etc.,  appear  several  times  over.  None 
of  these  duplications  have  been  entered  on  the  map,  with  the  excep- 
tions of  Shoal  Lake  and  Boggy  Creek.  In  the  first  case  I  have  added 
the  word  *'  West "  to  the  name  of  the  lake  which  is  of  secondary  im- 
portance and  probably  of  later  naming.  In  the  second  the  three  creeks 
are  distinguished  as  Boggy  Creek,  Big  Boggy  Creek,  and  Little  B?c;gy 
Creek.  Every  name  referred  to  in  the  notes,  with  exceptions  noted 
herein  later,  will  be  found  on  the  map,  with  many  additional  ones  that  are 
of  importance.  Frequent  allusion  is  made  to  Professor  Macouns'  jour- 
neys and  the  region  observed  by  him  in  making  them.    These  expedi- 


V0L.XIII,1 
0.    J 


1800. 


PttOCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


463 


shows  that 


1,  siniilar  to 
d  La  Riviere 


e  map  pre- 


tions  were  as  follows :  1879,  from  Winnipeg  to  Fort  Eliice  by  water  and 
thence  up  the  Qu'Appelle  River ;  1880,  from  Winnipeg  to  Grand  Val 
ley,  now  Brandon,  by  water  and  thence  overland  to  Moose  Mountain  ; 
1881,  from  Winnipeg  to  Portage  la  Prairie  by  rail,  thence  overland  to 
Totogou  down  Lake  Manitoba  by  boat  into  Waterhen  River  and  into 
Waterheu  Lake,  and  back  by  the  western  channel  into  Lake  Winne- 
pegosis,  and  along  the  western  shore  of  this  lake  into  the  larger  bays, 
up  Swan  River  to  Swan  Lake,  then  back  to  Winnepegosis  and  up  Red 
Deer  River  to  Red  Deer  Lake,  up  its  southern  afQuent  across  country 
to  Livingstone  and  down  the  Assiniboiue  to  the  railroad  at  Brandon. 

Humphrey's  or  McGee's  Lake,  Hope's  Lake,  Smith's  Lake,  and 
Markle's  Lake  are  small  drainage  lakes  near  Oarberry.  White  Horse 
Hill,  Kennedy's  Plain,  and  De  Winton  Slough  are  also  close  to  Gar- 
berry.  These  have  been  omitted  from  the  map,  as  they  are  too  small 
for  the  scale  on  which  it  is  drawn. 

The  following  places  outside  of  the  province  have  been  mentioned  to 
to  extend  or  explain  the  distribution  of  certain  species : 

Garleton  House :  On  the  north  branch  of  the  Saskatchewan. 

Cumberland  House :  On  the  Lower  Saskatchewan. 

Fort  Pelly :  On  Assiniboiue  River,  10  miles  west  of  Duck  Mountain. 

Fort  Qu'Appelle :  On  Qu'Appelle  River,  100  miles  up  from  its  junc> 
tion  with  the  Assiniboine. 

Moose  Mountain :  Assiniboia,  35  miles  westward  of  Manitoba,  about 
latitude  49°  40'  north. 

Kelson  River:  The  outlet  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  situated  at  its  north  end. 

Norway  House :  North  end  of  Lake  Winnipeg. 

Rat  Portage :  On  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  where  it  is  touched  by  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 

Red  Deer  River :  Flowing  into  Red  Deer  Lake,  at  the  northwest  cor> 
ner  of  the  province. 

Severn  House :  On  Severn  Lake,  at  64°  5'  north  latitude  and  92° 
30'  west  longitude,  about  150  miles  northeastward  of  the  province. 

Selkirk :  Lake  Winnipeg,  about  40  miles  north  of  the  northern  boun- 
dary. 

Touchwood  Hills :  30  miles  north-northwest  of  Fort  Qu'Appelle. 

Trout  Lake  House :  On  Trout  Lake,  at  53°  50'  north  latitude  and 
91°  west  longitude,  about  200  miles  northeast  by  eaot  of  the  province. 

White  Sand  River :  A  tributary  of  the  Upper  Assiniboine,  near  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  province. 


1.  2Ichmophorus  oooidentalls.    Western  Grebe. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident  in  l?ed  River  Valley,  chiefly  to- 
wards the  northward,  as  follows :  Quite  common  at  Shoal  Lake,  near 
Lake  Manitoba,  and  less  so  at  Redburn  (Hine).  A  rare  summer  resi- 
dent along  Eted  River  (Hunter).    Breeding  in  vast  numbers  at  Shoal 


464 


THE    BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA— THOMPSON. 


Lake  and  Lake  Manitoba,  not  elsewhere  (D.  Gunn).  "  Clark's  Grebe," 
Shoal  Lake  (Brewer).  Breeding  on  Lake  Manitoba  and  very  abun- 
dantly in  the  marshes  of  Waterheu  River,  between  it  and  Lake  Winne- 
pegosis.  I  took  great  numbers  of  eggs  on  Waterhen  Kiver  and  the 
south  end  of  Waterhen  Lake  (Macoun). 

I  did  not  meet  with  this  bird  in  any  part  of  western  or  sonthern 
Manitoba,  but  at  Winnipeg  I  was  shown  several  specimens  taken  near 
Bedburn,  where  it  is  somewhat  common,  and  others  from  Shoal  T^ake, 
where  it  is  quite  plentiful.  These  facts,  together  with  the  following 
statement  by  Professor  Macoun,  are  the  more  interesting  when  we  con- 
sider that  for  a  long  time  this  grebe  has  been  considered  a  bird  of  the 
Pacific  region. 

In  his  work  on  the  Northwest,  Professor  Macoun  writes : 

On  Waterhen  River  and  Lake  the  Western  and  Red-necked  Grebes  breed  in  tcreat 
numbers.  Their  nests  are  built  on  the  old  sedges  and  rise  and  fall  with  the  water. 
Here  the  Indians  collect  large  numbers  of  eggs  in  the  proper  season,  and  one  old  fel- 
low, last  season,  astonished  me  by  the  remark  that  he  conld  have  fresh  eggs  all  sum- 
mer. Ou  inquiry  I  learned  that  he  went  regularly  to  the  same  nests  and  never  took 
uU  the  eggs  so  that  he  kept  the  poor  bird  laying  all  sumu  er. 

Mr.  D.  Guiiu  makes  the  following  remarks  on  this  species  at  the  lake 
in  question:  : 

The  annnnl  resort  of  the  Podiccps  occidentaUs  to  Shoal  Lake  is,  an  has  been  observeil, 
'*  remarkable."  From  the  moHt  reliable  iufurmatiou  that  I  could  obtaiu  from  the  In- 
dians at  this  place  it  has  never  bueu  seen  ou  tlio  Red  River  uor  on  on  Lake  Winuipe^r, 
and  I  have  never  beard  of  its  having  been  seen  anywhere  in  what  is  commonly  known 
as  Rnpert's  Land,  except  at  Shoal  Lake  and  Manitoba,  and  I  m.iy  add  that  it  in  uImo 
remarkable  that  there  are  very  few  grebes  to  be  found  in  any  other  of  the  bays  con- 
nected with  the  lake,  although  all  these  bays  abound  in  reeds  and  ruHlies.  Pos)«i- 
bly  these  birds  prefer  the  bay  on  the  north  point  on  account  of  its  being  sheltered 
firom  the  wind,  and  probably  a  greater  facility  fur  obtuluii  g  food  in  that  locality  may 
influence  them  in  the  choice  they  make.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  large 
grebes  feed  ou  aquatic  plants;  I  opened  several  of  their  gizzards  and  found  nothing 
in  them  but  grass.  The  Western  Grebes,  when  seen  in  groups  on  the  smooth,  unruf- 
fled waters  of  the  lake,  make  a  splendid  appearance,  sometimes  raising  themselves 
out  of  the  water,  and  Happing  their  wings,  Jieir  white  breasts  t^listeiiing  in  the  nun 
like  silver.  They  are  not  timorous,  but  when  alarmed  they  sinii  their  bodies  in  the 
water,  aiul  if  the  ob|eot  of  their  fear  still  presents  itself  they  plunge  hood  foremost 
and  dive  and  continue  a  long  time  under  the  water,  often  disapp mtingtheexpecta- 
tions  of  their  pursuers  by  reappearing  in  a  ditfereut  direction  from  that  anticipated. 
They  make  their  nests  among  the  reeds  on  the  bent  bulrushes  of  *he  last  season ;  the 
frame  or  outer  work  is  of  reeds  and  lined  with  grass  from  the  bottom  and  reed  leaves. 
The  nest  is  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  surronndii  g  water  and  may  bo  said  to  lloat  at 
its  "  moorings,"  held  there  by  the  reeds.  We  found  hnndreds  of  these  nests  contain- 
ing two,  throe,  and  four  eggs  each  ;  I  believe  six  to  be  tho  highest  number  we  found 
in  any  «ue.  Wo  took  thirtotui  grebes,  of  which  the  males  were  laigor  than  the  fo- 
malti,  the  largest  male  measured,  before  skinning,  27|  by  'Mi  inches  and  14  incheH 
round  tho  body  at  the  head  of  the  wings.  The  largest  female  n\easured  '^44  by  ;Wi 
inches.  Wo  shot  not  a  few  of  them  in  the  actof  leaving  their  nests,  and  most  of  them 
on  bei-  g  skinned  proved  to  !•«<  males,  which  fact  inclines  me  to  believe  that  the  male 
bird  takes  his  turn  in  eitting  on  the  eggs. 


VOL.  XIII.T 
1800.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


465 


3s  at  the  lake 


2.  Colymbus  holboellii.    Holbcell's  Grebe.    Bed-neoked  Grebe. 

Summer  resident  chiefly  of  the  shallow,  flsh-freqaented  lakes  to  the 
northward.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  very  rare;  only  4  specimens 
taken  up  to  1885  (Hiue).  Breeding  in  considerable  numbers  at  Shoal 
Lake;  comparatively  rare  in  Red  Biver  region  (D. Gunn).  Specimen 
from  Bed  Biver  settlement  in  Smithsonian  Institution  (Blakiston). 
Breeds  abundantly  in  the  marshes  of  Waterhen  Biver  and  south  end  of 
Waterhen  Lake,  where  I  took  great  numbers  of  its  eggs  (Macoun). 
[  Duck  Mountain ;  breeding  (Thompson). 

On  June  18, 1884,  while  hunting  at  Duck  Mountain,  above  Boggy 

[GreeL,  with  my  brother,  we  came  to  a  small  lake  and  parted  to  go 

around  it  in  different  directions.    When  we  met,  he  showed  me  a  nest 

I  which  he  had  found  among  the  reeds  in  2  feet  of  water.    It  was  a  mere 

Ifloatiug  mass  of  wet  rushes,  and  had  been  moored  by  a  few  growing 

[rushes  whose  tops  had  been  incorporated  with  the  structure.    It  con- 

Itaiued  3  eggs,  which  the  bird  was  hastily  covering  with  more  rushes 

[when  he  first  saw  her.    From  his  descriittion,  and  from  what  I  could  see 

It  200  yards  distance,  it  was  apparently  an  adult  Bed-necked  Grebe,  but 

the  bird  was  too  shy  to  admit  of  the  identification  being  completed  in 

[the  only  perfectly  reliable  way. 

As  there  are  no  fish  in  these  isolated  mountain  lakes,  these  birds 
)robably  live  largely  on  amblystomie,  crawfish,  and  insects. 


3.  CoIymbuB  auritua.    Honied  Grebe. 

Abundant  summer  resident  of  general  distribution  ;  very  abundant ; 
Ibreeding  at  Pembina  and  the  base  of  the  Turtle  Mountain  (Ooues). 
Lake  Winnipeg  (Murray).    Red  Biver  (Kennicott).    Common  summer 
esident  in  Bed  Biver  Valley  (Hunter).    Oommonabout  Winnipeg  (Hiue). 
''ery  common  on  Bed  Biver,  and  breed  in  the  marshes  near  Shoal  Lake 
(Gunn).    Portage  la  Prairie ;  common  summer  resident  (Nash).    Ob- 
served in  the  ponds  from  Turtle  Mountain  to  Brandon,  in  May,  1882; 
>mmonly  breeding  in  all  the  ponds  about  the  Big  Plain,  being  the 
lost  abundant  Grebe  of  the  region ;  common  also  from  Carberry  to 
tiipid  City  and  thence  west  to  Fort  EUice,  and  in  the  whole  region  on 
^both  sidesoftheAssiniboine,  northward  to  Duck  Mountain  (Thompson), 
ibundant  on  V/aterhen  River;  breeding;  they  give  the  name  to  the 
river;  the  common  Grebe  of  the  prairie  ponds  (Macoun).    Shell  River; 
1885,  first  seen,  two  on  May  3 ;  afterwards  seen  every  «lay ;  it  is  common 
i'l  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt).    Trout  Lake  (Murray). 
On  July  20, 1883,  in  a  lake  near  ''  The  Gore,"  shot  a  Horned  Grel>e. 
lit  had  saved  Itself  once  or  twice  by  diving  at  the  puff  of  smoke,  so  I 
jBouglit  the  cover  of  the  bushes  and  fired  through  an  opening,  and  as  no 
smoke  was  visible  I  got  the  bird.    It  was  an  a<lult  male;  length,  14 
[inches,  extent  24  inches;  moulting ;  iris  blood  red,  with  an  inner  circle 
lof  white  around  it;  basal  region  and  part  of  lower  ni.indiblo  adjoining 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 30 


466 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


covered  with  bare  red  skin  ;  in  examining  the  eye,  I  squeezed  out  a  leech, 
that  was  sometimes  like  a  No.  4  shot  or  again  like  a  small  needle. 

On  June  3, 1884,  while  traveling  on  the  Birtle  trail  from  Rapid  City 
luoticed  a  pair  of  Horned  Grebes  in  a  small  pond.  I  fired  and  disabled 
one.  On  wading  in  I  found  it  was  shot  in  the  eye  and  was  perfectly 
blind,  though  otherwise  unhurt.  Having  heard  sundry  curious  theorios 
about  the  way  in  which  these  birds  move  their  feet,  I  kept  it  alive  for 
observation.  When  ordinarily  swimming  the  feet  strike  out  alter- 
nately, and  the  progression  is  steady,  but  sonic  rnes  both  feet  struck 
together,  and  then  the  movement  was  by  great  bounds  and  was  evi- 
dently much  better  calculated  to  force  the  bird  over  an  expanse  of  very 
weedy  water  or  through  any  tangle  of  weeds  or  rushes  in  which  it 
might  have  found  itself.  When  lifted  out  of  the  water  the  feet  worked 
so  fast  as  to  be  lost  to  the  eye  in  a  mere  haze  of  many  shadowy  feet 
with  one  attachment.  When  placed  on  the  ground  it  was  perfectly 
helpless.  At  nights  I  laid  it  by  my  side  on  the  grass,  and  each  morn- 
ing I  found  it  still  in  the  same  place.  During  the  day  I  carried  it  in  a 
bucket  swung  under  the  wagon.  It  often  tried  to  leap  out  of  this, 
but  never  succeeded.  On  the  second  day  of  its  captivity  it  laid  an 
egg,  which  was  like  a  duck's  egg  with  a  heavy  coat  of  whitewash.  On 
the  third  day,  after  tbe  wagon  had  crossed  some  rough  ground,  which 
had  set  the  pail  violently  swinging,  I  found  the  grebe  was  gone.  All 
the  specimens  of  comutua  that  I  have  examined  have  the  eye  all  blood- 
red  except  a  thin  ring  of  white  which  immediately  surrounds  tbe  pupil. 

On  August  21, 1884,  shot  a  Horned  (?)  Grebe  in  the  lake  southwest  of 
here.  Several  young  ones  were  seen.  No  doubt  the  species  breeds 
there  as  in  all  the  small  drainage  ponds  in  this  region,  although  they 
are  totally  devoid  of  fish.  The  only  animal  food  available  for  the 
grebes  in  there  is  amblystomse,  frogs,  leeches,  and  insects. 

Distaittbet  Seekeep  or  Little  Diver.  This  bird  differa  but  little  from  Mr.  Pennatit'et 
sniall  grebe.  It  weigbs  5^  onncea,  harbors  in  our  fresh  waters,  where  it  builds  a 
floating  nest  of  grass,  laying  from  three  to  five  eggs  of  a  white  color ;  the  heat  of  the 
bird  causing  a  fermentation  in  the  grass,  which  is  a  foot  tbicli,  makes  a  kind  of  hot- 
bed, for  (please  to  observe)  the  water  penetrates  throngh  the  grass  to  tbe  eggs. 
(Hutobins's  Observations  on  Hudson  Bay.    MS8.  17i^.) 

4.  Oolymbua  nlgrioollla  oallfomlouB.    American  Eared  Orebe. 

Common  summer  resident,  breeding  abundantly  on  Turtle  Moun- 
tain and  at  points  nlor«g  Mouse  Uiver,  near  the  boundary  (Goues). 
Common  summer  resident  in  Ued  Kiver  Valley  (Hunter).  Winnipeg: 
Summer  resident  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Bleeding  in  great  num- 
bers at  Shoal  Lake  and  on  Ked  River  (1).  Gunn).  Quite  common  on 
pools  in  prairie  regions  (Maooun).  Very  numerous  in  4^^hiH  bny  (Grebe 
Bay,  Shoal  Lake).  They  make  their  nests  on  the  bulrushes,  composed 
of  the  same  material.  We  found  as  many  as  six  eggs  in  some  nests, 
but  in  the  greater  number  of  nests  only  four.    They  are  very  shy  and 


VOL,  XIII,  1 
D.     J 


1890. 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


467 


expert  divers,  are  very  common  on  tbe  Bed  Biver,  and  breed  in  the 
marshes  near  tbe  lake  (D.  Gunu). 

5.  FodilymbuB  podioeps.    Pied-billed  Grebe.    Dabchick. 

Common  summer  resident  in  all  waters,  living  and  dead;  breeding 
at  Pembina  and  on  ponds  at  the  base  of  the  Turtle  Mountain  (Goues). 
Winnipig:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Red  Biver 
Valley :  Summer  resident;  common ;  breeds  at  Shoal  Lake  (Hunter). 
Portage  la  Prairie;  very  abundant;  summer  resident  on  every  lake, 
slough,  or  pond  large  enough  to  give  them  sufficient  <*  water  privilege;" 
arriving  as  soon  as  the  ice  is  out  and  departing  wheu  their  haunts  are 
frozen  over.  First  seen.  May  6, 1884,  April  24, 1885,  April  19, 1886 
(Nnsh).  Frequently  observetl  in  the  ponds  from  Turtle  Mountain  to 
Brandon ;  in  May,  1882,  common  and  breeding  in  the  ponds  about  Gar- 
berry,  also  at  Rapid  City  (Thompson).  In  immense  numbers  (killed 
four  at  a  shot)  in  August  and  early  part  of  September  on  the  headwaters 
and  marshes  of  Swan  Biver;  abundant  on  all  pools  south  of  Touch- 
wood Hills;  apparently  more  northern  than  the  preceding  (Macoun). 
Shell  Biver,  May  4  (Galcutt). 

On  June  30,  1882,  at  Bapid  City,  found  a  Pied-billed  Grebe  lying  dead 
on  the  road.    This  species  seem^^  to  be  very  abundant  throughout  the 

I  country  from  here  to  Carbeny,  and  from  Carberry  to  Turtle  Mountain, 
[for  the  peculiar  call  note  ^^prr-r-rr  tote  tow  toio  tote"  (that  I  ascribe 

to  this  species)  is  heard  in  nearly  every  marsh  throughout  the  region 

[indicated. 

On  August  12, 1883, 1  came  on  a  pair  of  Pied-billed  Grebes  in  McGee's 

{Lake,  Carberry.  Instead  of  diving  they  commenced  flapping  over  the 
surface  and  excited  my  curiosity  so  that  I  shot  them  both.  They  were 
both  Dabchicks,  and  I  found  they  would  not  dive  because  the  water 
was  very  weedy  at  that  place.    The.r  gizzards  were  full  of  water  insects 

land  feathers.     These  last  are  commonly  found  in  gizzards  of  Grebes. 

II  know  of  no  explanation  of  this  fact,  unless  it  be  to  muffle  the  move- 
[ments  of  newly  swallowed  living  prey. 

On  September  13,  1884,  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  found  Dabchioks  here 
[yet.    Tbey  seem  more  numerous  here  than  at  Carberry. 

6.  Urinator  Imber.    Loon.    Big  Hei..  'ver. 

Summer  resident  on  the  larger  fish  frequented  lakes.  Summer  resi- 
Ident;  abundant,  and  breeding  on  Lake  Winnipeg  and  the  larger  rivers 
I(Hint').  Swampy  Island:  1886,  first  seen,  four,  on  May  30;  next  seen 
iMay  31 ;  rare  around  this  island ;  not  breeding  here ;  common  at  northern 
lend  of  lake  in  full;  last  seen  September  27;  in  1880,  first  seen,  twenty, 
)n  May  14  (Plunkett).  Oak  Point :  1884,  arrived  May  1  (Small).  Port- 
nge  la  Prairio:  Tolerably  common  on  Lake  Manitoba  throughout  the 
|8ummer,  arriving  with  the  first  general  thaw  in  spring  and  retiring 
|wbeu  driven  out  by  the  frost  (Nasl«).     Common  only  on  the  northern 


468 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


lakes  in  the  forest  country;  saw  some  on  Bed  Deer  Lake ;  never  more 
than  a  pair  together;  never  saw  it  in  the  prairie  region  (Macoun). 
Biding  Mountain:  June,  1884  (Thompson).  Shell  Biver:  1885,  first 
seen,  a  pair  on  May  4 ;  afterwards,  seen  every  day ;  is  common  all  sum- 
mer and  breeds  here  (Galcutt).  Qu  Appelle :  Common  snmmer  resident, 
breeds ;  arrives  April  28  (Guernsey).    Severn  House  (Murray). 

Athinne  inoqna,  or  Great  Northern  Diver.  This  elegant  bird  is  seldom  seen  on  the 
■eaooasts,  but  resides  among  the  lakes  above  100  miles  to  the  southward  of  York  Fort, 
for  which  reason  they  are  called  the  inland  loons.  (Hutchins'sMSS.  Observations  on 
Hudson's  Bay,  1782.) 

7.  Urinator  arctious.    Black-throated  Loon. 

Becorded  by  Andrew  Murray,  from  Severn  House,  and  therefore 
probably  Manitoban. 

8.  Urinator  lumme.    Red-throated  Loon. 

Winnipeg:  Bare  (Hine).    l^orway  House  (Bell). 

Assee  moqua,  or  Red-throated  Diver.  *  *  *  It  appears  in  these  parts  when  the 
rivers  are  open  and  retires  about  the  end  of  September.  Its  note  is  harsh  and  disa- 
greeable, like  squalliug.  They  make  no  nest,  only  lining  the  place  with  a  little  down 
from  the  breast,  on  which  they  deposit  theii  <>ggB  towards  the  end  of  June ;  they  are 
of  a  stone  color  and  only  two  in  number.  The  young  ones  fly  before  the  end  of 
August.  They  live  chiefly  on  fish  and  are  excellent  divers,  and  so  very  troubleaome 
to  the  nets  that  I  have  this  summer  taken  out  fourteen  of  them  that  were  caught  in 
one  tide  at  a  single  net.  (Hutchins's  Observatioos  on  Hudson's  Bay,  1782.) 

9.  Cepphus  mandtil.    Mandt's  Guillemot. 

Severn  House  (Murray).  This  species  may  be  named  as  probably 
Manitoban  on  the  above  grounds. 

10.  Lama  argentatus  unithsonlanus.   American  Herring  Gull. 

Summer  resident  about  the  larger  bodies  of  water ;  breeding  in  great 
numbers  at  Lake  Winnipeg  (D.  Gunii).  Specimeo  from  Nelson  Biver, 
inSmithsonian  Institution  (Blakiston).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  April 
21 ;  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  April  18;  next  seen,  two,  on  19th ;  is  com- 
mon, and  breeds  here  (Small).  Breeding  in  all  the  large  prairie  lakes 
(Macoun).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Occurs  during  the  spring  and  autumn 
migrations  (Nash).    Severn  House  (Murray). 

The  island  on  which  we  were  detained  by  a  storm,  is  one  of  the  Oull-ogg  group, 
which,  with  a  point  of  land  protruding  from  the  main  laud,  fornis  a  pretty  good  har- 
bor on  the  south  Hide  of  the  neck  of  the  great  promontory.  The  Indians  were  nearly  des- 
titute of  provinions  and  followed  us  to  the  island,  where  they  fortunately  got  a  plenti- 
ful supply  of  eggs  and  young  gulls;  but  having  little  ammunition,  they  brought 
down  only  a  few  old  ones,  although  they  hovered  in  countless  numbers  over  the 
island,  screaming  at  the  wholesale  destruction  uf  their  young  brood.  (Ilurd,  August 
34,  1858.) 

11.  Lama  delawarenals.    Ring-bille«l  Gull. 

Bummer  resident,  near  Mouse  Biver,  on  the  boundary,  in  September 
(Oones).    Winnipeg :  Snmmer  resident,  tolerably  common,  and  at  Lake 


VOL.  xni,l 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OB'   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


469 


id  therefore 


Winnipeg  (Hine).    North,   in  summer,  to  Lake  Winnipeg  (Brewer). 
Breeding  in  all  the  lakes  of  any  size  (Macoun). 

12.  Larus  firanklini.    Franklin's  Oall.    Rosy  Oull. 

Summer  resident  about  the  large  lakes.  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident; 
abundant;  breeding  in  the  prairie  marshes  of  the  neighborhood  (Hine). 
Swamp  Island :  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  May  28 ;  next  seen.  May  29, 
after  which  it  was  common ;  it  breeds  here,  and  is  an  abundant  summer 
resident ;  in  fall,  last  seen  September  25 ;  1886,  first  seen,  six,  on  May 
18 ;  bulk  arrived  May  20  ( Plunkett).  Breeding  at  Selkirk  Settlement, 
Ked  River  Settlement,  and  in  numbers  at  Swan  Creek,  Oak  Point, 
Lake  Manitoba  (D.  Gunu).  Shoal  Lake:  May  15,  1887;  common 
(Christy).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  in  spring  migration ;  in  1884, 
first  seen  April  21  (Nash).  Breeding  abundantly  on  Lake  Winnepe- 
gosis,  1881  (Macoun).  Carberry :  A  common  spring  migrant  (Thompson). 
Turtle  Mountain :  Young  (Coues).  Shell  River :  1885,  '<  Black-Headed 
Gull,"  firstseen,  two,  on  April  24;  next  seen,  nine,  on  May  2;  a  tran- 
sient visitant  passing  north  and  not  remaining  any  time  or  breeding 
(Calcutt). 

13.  Larus  Philadelphia.    Bonaparte's  Gall. 

Summer  resident  about  the  larger  lakes.  Winnipeg:  Tolerably  com- 
mon here  in  fall  (Bine).  A  few  breeding  in  the  marsh  of  Swan  Creek, 
not  far  from  Shoal  Lake  (D.  Gunn).  Breeding  in  great  abundance  on 
all  the  large  lakes  of  the  prairie -region,  chiefly  west  of  Manitoba 
(Macoun).  One  in  Snithsonian  Institution  from  Nelson  River  (Blakis- 
tou).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant  during  the  spring  migration,  and 
some  probably  stay  to  breed,  as  I  have  occasionally  seen  single  birds 
about  the  prairie  sloughs  during  the  summer  (Nash).  Severn  House; 
fortunately  several  specimens  of  this  gull  have  been  received ;  it  is 
rare  in  collections,  but  would  appear  not  to  be  so  in  Hudson's  Bay 
(Murray). 

14.  Sterna  foraterL    Forster's  Tern. 

Summer  resident  about  the  large  lakes ;  bi  ceding  in  large  nambers 
on  the  b  trders  of  Lake  Winnipeg  in  the  latter  part  of  May;  at  Shoal 
Lake,  saw  Forster's  terns  in  considerable  numbers;  they  nest  among 
the  reeds;  Selkirk  Settlement  (D.  Gunn).  Shoal  Lake,  May  15;  com- 
n;on  (Christy).  Breeding  abundantly  in  Lake  Manitoba,  Waterhen 
River,  and  Lake  Wionepegosis  (Macoun).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abund- 
ant during  the  spring  and  autumn  migrations;  probably  breeds,  as  £ 
have  seen  a  few  in  summer  (Nash). 

IS.  Sterna  hirundo.    Cnmnion  Teru.    Sea  Swalloir. 

Common  summer  resident  on  the  large  lakes ;  feeding  largely  on  small 
fish.    Winnipeg:   Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).    One 


470 


THE   BIRDS   OF.  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


It 


taken  on  Lake  Winnipeg,  June  16  (Humicalt).  Breeding  on  Lake 
Manitoba,  Waterlien  River,  and  Lake  Winnipegosis  (Macouii). 
Portage  la  Prair.e  :  Tolerably  common  during  spring  ami  autumn 
migrations ;  a  few  remain  about  Lake  Manitoba  during  the  summer 
(Nash). 

There  are  numbers  of  terns  breeding  annually  at  Shoal  Lake ;  some  of  them  on 
small,  gravelly  islands.  These  form  their  nests  by  removing  the  gravel,  making  hol- 
lows in  which  they  lay  their  eggs;  others  of  them  take  up  their  abode  among  the 
reeds  aud  rushes.  Here,  with  great  industry  and  ingenuity,  they  make  their  nestH 
of  reeds  and  grass,  fixing  them  in  their  place  to  keep  them  from  floating  away. 
When  in  Lake  Winuipeg,  in  1862,  I  observed  that  the  terns  which  occupied  sandy 
and  gravelly  islands  made  their  nests  as  those  do  on  the  gravelly  islands  in  Sh^^**! 
Lake ;  and  the  terns  found  on  the  rocky  island  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake  chose  for 
their  nests  depressions  and  clefts  in  the  surface  of  the  rocks.  These  they  line  care- 
fully with  moss;  three  or  four  eggs  being  laid  in  each  nest;  thus  exhibiting  a 
remarkable  example  of  instinct,  which  teaches  these  little  creatures  that  their  eggs 
laid  iu  soft  sand  and  in  loose  gravel  are  safe  without  any  lining  to  protect  them,  but 
that  when  laid  in  hollows  and  clefts  of  rocks,  lining  to  protect  their  eggs  aud  young 
from  injury  by  these  hard,  and  at  night  cold,  materials  would  be  iudispensable.  (D. 
Quuu.) 

16.  Hydrochelidon  nigra  suxinamensis.    Black  Tern,  or  Marsh  Tern. 

Abundant  summer  resident ;  chiefly  about  the  prairie  ponds,  dead 
waters;  breeding  at  Pembina;  Mouse  liiver  at  the  boundary  (Cones). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Bine).  Abundant  in  l\ed 
Biverand  Selkirk  Settlements  (Brewer).  Prairie  Portage;  plains  of  the 
Souris  (Hind).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant  summer  resident  on  all 
the  large  prairie  sloughs,  in  which  they  breed;  first  seen,  May  11, 
1884,  May  25, 1885;  last  seen,  September  9,  1884  (Nasb).  Breeding 
very  abundantly  in  all  marshes  from  Portage  la  Prairie  westward, 
1879,  and  in  less  numbers  in  tbo  wooded  region,  but  generally  dis- 
tributed (Macoun).  Carberry:  Abundant;  sun^merresideut;  breediug 
also  in  all  ponds  along  the  trail  from  Carberry  to  Port  EUice  (Thomp- 
sou).  Brandon :  Breeds  in  great  numbers  ;Wood).  Sbell  River:  1885, 
first  seen,  eleven,  on  May  18;  seen  every  day  afterwards;  is  common 
all  summer,  and  breeds  here ;  Indian  name,  *<  K'ask "  (Galcutt). 
Qu'Appelle :  Oommon  summer  resident;  breeds ;  arrives  May  18  (Gui  rn- 
aey).    Severn  House  (Murray'. 

Oa  Jane  11, 1882,  went  in  the  morning  with  two  bi others  to  the  lake 
in  the  sand  hills  east  ot  old  Dewinion;  saw  there  large  numbers  of 
marsh  terns.  They  ap  penred  to  be  nesting  in  a  weedy  expanse  far  out 
in  the  lake,  but  it;  was  surrounded  by  deep  water,  so  that  I  could  not 
come  near  it  to  seek  for  eggs.  The  birds  came  flying  over  my  head,  in 
company  with  numbers  of  blackbirds,  and  resented  my  intrusion  by 
continually  crying  in  their  characteristic  manner. 

August  4.  The  black  terns  are  beginning  to  gather  iu  flocks ;  leave 
the  ponds  an.i  skim  about  over  the  open  prairie. 

On  July  8, 1883,  went  southwest  to  Smith's  Lake;  found  a  number 


vol 


.  XIII,  "I 
890.    J 


1890. 


PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


471 


of  tern's  uests,  just  finished,  apparently,  as  they  were  clean,  but  empty, 
and  the  old  birds  continued  flying  above  us  an.i  screaming  their  re- 
sentment. 

On  July  5, 1884,  at  McGee's  Lake,  Oarberry,  I  found  the  terns  just 

beginning  to  lay.    Each  nest  is  a  mere  handful  of  floating  reeds,  slightly 

moored  to  others  growing  in  the  deep  water,  where  they  are  found. 

\  The  whole  structure  is  just  on  a  level  with  the  surface  of  the  water  and 

I  entirely  wet ;  on  this  are  the  eggs,  much  the  same  color  as  the  reeds, 

I  and  as  wet  as  eggs  can  be. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  although  this  species  is  abundant  in  all 

{parts of  southwestern  Manitoba,  and  I  have  often  searched  in  various 

lakes  with  a  flock  of  terns  screaming  about  my  ears,  yet  I  have  never 

before  found  either  nest  or  eggs.    On  this  occasion  I  found  three  eggs 

in  one  nest ;  several  nests  with  two  eggs ;  one  or  two  with  one,  and  one 

[or  two  empty  uests  just  completed. 

On  July  9  the  terns  were  numerous  everywhere  on   the  prairie. 
I  Timed  and  counted  the  wing  beats  of  several  as  a  basis  for  calculating 
their  rate  of  flight;  one  made  54  beats  in  9  seconds ;  another,  28  beats  in 
[9  seconds,  a  third  30  in  10  seconds.    July  6,  observed  one  make  27  beats 
ic  10  seconds.    July  12,  saw  another  make  15  beats  in  5  seconds,  show- 
ing that  about  3  is  the  average  number  of  beats  to  the  second.    July  5 
|I  had  an  opportunity  of  measuring  the  distance  a  tern  covers  with  8 
[beats;  it  was  24  yards. 

August  14 :  Terns  are  abundant  now  on  the  open  prairie ;  it  is  a  com- 
lou  sight  to  see  this  bird  zigzagging  about  in  pursuit  of  the  large 
Idragon  flies,  until,  at  length,  having  secured  as  many  as  it  could  con- 
Iveniently  carry,  it  suddenly  ceased  the  fantastic  maneuvering  for  the 
[swifter  beeline,  and  made  straight  for  its  twin  nestings  in  the  reedy 
[expanse  of  some  lake  far  away. 

To-day,  I  made  a  calculation  of  the  speed;  one  bird  covered  70  yards 
|with  14  beats, «.  c,  5  yards  per  beat;  I  find  they  usually  give  3  beats  per 
Isecond ;  this,  therefore,  is  15  yards  per  second  or  31  miles  per  hour ;  much 
[h\s8  than  I  expected.  This  black  inland  member  of  a  white  marine 
[family  is  abundant  about  all  the  weedy  sloughs  and  lakes  of  the  Mani- 
jtobau  prairie  regions.  It  seems  not  to  subsist  on  fish  at  all,  but  chiefly 
[on  dragon  flies  and  various  aquatic  insects.  It  finds  both  it«  home  and 
jits  foo<l  in  the  marshes  usually,  but  its  powers  of  flight  are  so  great 
[that  it  may  also  be  seen  far  out  on  the  dry  open  plains  scouring  the 
[country  for  food  at  a  distance  of  miles  from  its  nesting  ground. 

The  voice  of  the  species  is  a  short,  oft-repeated  scream,  and  when  any 
Iknown  enemy,  be  it  man  or  beast,  is  found  Intruding  on  the  privacy  of 
Itlieir  nesting  ground  the  whole  flock  comes  hovering  and  dashing  about 
iliis  head,  screaming  and  threatening  in  a  most  vociferous  manner. 
[Under  such  circumstances  it  is  the  easiest  thing  imaginable  to  procure 
las  many  specimens  as  may  be  desired.  When  one  of  the  flock  falls 
{wounded  in  the  water,  its  fellows  will  repeatedly  dart  down  and  hover 


472 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


low  over  it,  but  I  have  never  seen  any  attempts  made  to  assist  it  in 
escaping,  after  the  manner  ascribed  to  some  of  the  family. 

Besides  aquatic  insects  the  Black  Tern  feeds  largely  on  dragon  flies 
which  it  adroitly  captures  on  the  wing.  The  bird  may  frequently  be 
seen  dashing  about  in  a  zigzag  manner  so  swiftly  the  eye  can  offer  no 
explanation  of  its  motive  until,  on  the  resumption  of  its  ordinary  flight, 
a  large  dragon  fly  is  seen  hanging  from  its  bill  and  sufficiently  accounts 
for  the  erratic  movements  of  the  bird.  After  having  captured  its  prey 
in  this  way  I  have  frequently  seen  a  tern  apparently  playing  with  its 
victim,  letting  it  go  and  catching  it  again,  or  if  it  is  unable  to  fly, 
dropping  it,  and  darting  under  it  to  seize  it  again  and  again  before  it 
touches  the  water.  After  the  young  are  hatched,  a  small  flock  of  the 
old  ones  may  be  seen  together  leaving  the  pond  and  winging  their  way 
across  country  to  some  favorite  dragon -fly  ground.  Their  flight  at  first 
is  uncertain  and  vacillating,  but  as  soon  as  one  has  secured  its  load  it 
returns  with  steady  flight  and  in  a  straight  line  to  its  nest. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  I  was  always  impressed  with  the  idea 
that  the  tern  was  very  swift  and  entered  into  a  series  of  elaborate  cal- 
culations to  ascertain  the  rate  of  its  flight.  A  large  number  of  obser- 
vations resulted  in  an  average  of  three  wing-beats  per  second,  with 
the  greatest  of  regularity ;  another  series  of  observations,  not  so  satis- 
factory, allowed  a  distance  of  5  yards  to  be  traversed  at  each  beat. 
This  gave  only  the  disappointing  rate  of  something  over  30  miles  per 
hour,  but  this  was  at  the  uncertain  foraging  flight.  Once  the  mother 
tern  has  secured  her  load  of  provender,  a  great  change  takes  place,  as 
already  mentioned ;  she  rises  high  in  air,  and  I  am  sure  she  doubles  her 
former  rate  of  speed,  and  straight  as  a  ray  of  light  makes  for  home.  It 
is  said  that  many  birds  can  not  fly  with  the  wind;  not  so  the  tern ;  for 
now,  if  there  be  a  gale  blowing  her  way,  she  mounts  it  like  a  steed  and 
adds  its  swiftness  to  her  own,  till  she  seems  to  glance  across  the  sky, 
and  vanishes  in  the  distance  with  a  speed  that  wouhl  leave  far  behind 
even  the  eagle,  so  long  the  symbol  of  all  that  was  dashing  and  swift. 


17.  Phalaorooorax  dilophui*.    Double-crested  Cormorant.    Crow  Duck. 

Sl  imer  resident  about  the  large  lakes  of  the  westward  regior  when 
there  is  plenty  of  fish ;  once  observed  on  Bed  Biver  near  Pembina 
(Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  not  rare,  and  found  breeding 
at  Lake  Winnipeg;  occasional  on  Bed  Biver  (Hine).  Breeding  at 
Shoal  Lake  and  Selkirk  Settlement  (D.  Gunn).  Shoal  Lake:  Plentiful ; 
breeding;  May  16,  1887  (Christy).  Ossowa:  Breeding  (Wagner). 
Portage  la  Prairie :  Tolerably  common  during  the  spring  migration,  on 
the  Assiniboine  and  Bed  Bivers,  and  the  wooded  sloughs  adjacent  to 
them,  but  very  seldom  seen  in  the  autumn ;  first  seen  April  24, 1885, 
April  20, 1886;  on  October  8, 1886 ;  I  saw  one  flying  up  the  Bed  Biver 
southward ;  these  birds  are  very  wild  and  difficult  of  approach  when 
on  the  water,  -ising  with  a  great  flapping  before  one  can  get  within  200 


PROCEEDINGS  OP  THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


473 


>  assist  it  iu 


VOL.  XIII.T 
1890.    J 

yards  of  them  (Nash).  Very  abundant;  breeding  on  Lake  Winnepe- 
gosis  in  J881  (Macoun).  Shell  River  :  1885,  first  seen,  four,  on  May 
13;  next  seen,  two,  on  May  14;  a  transient  visitor  only;  not  breeding, 
(Oalcutt).  Qu'Appelle :  Rather  common  summer  resident ;  April  25, 
breeding  north  of  the  Touchwood  Hills;  nesting  on  the  trees  growing 
on  islands  in  the  lake!)  (Guernsey). 

Fort  Qa'Appelle,  May  19, 1885.  The  Cormorant  comes  here  in  large  flocks  towards 
the  end  of  April ;  it  is  called  by  half-breeds  the  Crow  Duck;  in  its  flight  it  flaps  for 
three  or  four  strokes  and  then  sails  ;  it  is  an  expert  diver.  The  half-breeds  say  that  it 
bnilds  on  islands  in  the  lakes  north  of  here,  building  its  nests  on  trees.  They  say  that 
when  a  man  lands  on  one  of  their  breeding  places  the  birds  fly  over  him  and  drop 
their  excrement  ou  him.  I  have  been  told  this  by  several.  They  do  not  breed  here 
that  I  know  of,  but  there  are  always  several  knocking  about  during  the  summer ; 
they  sit  on  the  bars  with  the  pelicans.    (Qeo.  F.  Que:    sey). 

18.  Peleoanua  erythrorhynchos.    American  White  Pelican. 

Common  summer  resident  about  the  large  lakes;  one  taken  at  Pem- 
bina in  May ;  observed  at  Mouse  River  on  the  boundary  in  September 
(Cones).  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident ;  common  about  the  large  lakes ; 
breeding  at  Shoal  Lake  (Hiue).  Red  River  Valley :  Summer  resident ; 
common;  breeds  at  Shoal  Lake  (Hunter).  Shoal  Lake  (Christy).  Breeds 
in  the  smaller  lakes  near  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  northwestward  ;  several 
specimens  shot  in  Lake  Winnipeg  in  October,  1880  (Bell).  Swamp 
Island :  1885,  first  saw,  two  on  May  24 ;  next  seen  May  31,  after  which  it 
was  common;  it  breeds  here ;  in  fall,  last  seen  September  12,  1886,  first 
saw,  two,  on  April  29 ;  bulk  arrived  May  27  (Plunkett).  September  1, 
1884,  saw  a  flock  of  five  on  Lake  Manitoba ;  the  only  ones  I  ever  saw 
(Nash).  Waterhen  River:  October  3, 1858,  a  large  flock  of  pelicans, 
wheeling  in  circles  far  above,  suddenly  formed  into  an  arrow-headed 
figure,  and  struck  straight  south ;  Oak  Lake,  some  Pelicans  (Hind). 
In  great  numbers  at  the  head  of  Lake  Winnepegosis  or  abont  half  WL,y 
up,  and  evidently  breeding,  1881  (Macoun).  Carberry:  November  5, 
1886,  found  remains  of  a  dead  pelican  in  the  hills  near  Smith's  Lake ; 
only  record  (Thompson).  Dalton:  1889,  first  saw  one  on  May  4;  next 
seen.  May  5;  rare  (Toemans).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident; 
very  plentiful  on  the  lakes  last  year  (1884) ;  towards  the  migratory  sea- 
son I  saw  flocks  of  upwards  of  500  birds  (Guernsey).  Pelican  observed 
in  numbers  at  the  Grand  Rapids,  where  the  Saskatehewan  enters  Lake 
Winnepeg,  on  the  25th  of  September,  and  a  few  days  after  a  scattered 
one  or  two;  I  believe  they  do  not  range  east  of  Lake  Winnipeg  (Bla- 
kiston). 

These  birds  until  the  last  few  years  were  ic  the  habit  of  breeding  in  large  numbers 
at  Shonl  Lake,  50  miles  from  Winnipeg.  In  the  summer  of  1878,  on  the  1st  of  June, 
I  counted  six  hundred  of  their  eggs  (t)  in  uestson  a  small  island  of  abont  half  an  acre  in 
extent.  The  nests  consist  only  of  a  slight  depression  in  the  sand.  These  birds  and 
the  cormorants  are  great  friends;  the  nests  of  the  latter  were  intermixed  everywhere 
with  those  of  the  pelicans.  1  counted  seven  hundred  eggs  of  the  cormorant  on  this 
•pot.    Although  the  pelican's  home  and  nesting  place  is  an  abode  of  filth,  they  keep 


474 


THE   BIBDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


m 


themselves  exceedingly  clean.    Their  flight  I  consider  more  beant  fal  and  graoefal 
even  than  that  of  the  swan.    (Richard  H.  Hunter  in  MS8.) 

Fort  Qu'Appelle,  May  19,  18tJ5.  So.ne  years  tlie  pelicans  are  more  numerous  than 
others.  Last  year  they  were  very  thick  all  snuimer,  and  towards  the  end  of  summer 
it  was  no  unusual  thing  to  see  forty  or  fifty  in  a  flock  sitting  on  the  water.  They  are 
reported  to  breed  in  large  numbers  on  Long  Lake,  40  miles  west  of  here.  (George  F. 
Guernsey  in  MSS.)  . 

19.  Merganser  americanus.    American  Merganser.    Sheldrake. 

Sam Dier  resident,  frequenting  only  living  water.  Winnipeg:  Sum- 
mer resident;  rare;  Lake  Winnipeg  (Uiue).  Red  Rirer  Valley:  Sum- 
mer resident ;  common ;  breeds  at  Sboal  Lake  (Hunter).  Breeds  abun- 
dantly on  tbe  rivers  emptying  into  Lake  Winnepegosis,  and  on  all  the 
rivers  visited  by  me  in  Manitoba ;  I  never  observed  this  bird  on  still 
water  during  the  breeding  season ;  they  feed  only  on  fish,  and  are  found 
only  on  clear  running  streams  where  fry  are  abundant  (Macoun). 
Qu'Appelle:  Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  May  5  (Guernsey). 

20.  Merganser  serrator.    Red-breasted  Merganser.    Fish  Dnok. 

Summer  resident,  chiefly  on  living  waters.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resi- 
dent; rare;  Lake  Winnepeg  (Hine).  Bed  River  Valley:  Summer  resi- 
dent ;  tolerably  common ;  breeds  at  Shoal  Lake  (Hunter).  Breeds  in  all 
the  northern  streams  and  ponds ;  feed  largely  on  vegetable  matter  and 
are  quite  edible  (Macoun).  Carberry :  August  21, 1881,  at  Hope's  Lake, 
shot  a  merganser;  rare  here  (Thompson).  Qu'Appelle :  Tolerably  com- 
mon ;  summer  resident;  May  1  (Guernsey).  Trout  Lake,  Severn  House 
(Murray). 

21.  Lophodytes  cuonllatua.     Hooded  Merganser. 

Summer  resident,  chiefly  inhabiting  drainage,  that  is,  dead  water ; 
breeds;  Turtle  Mountain  and  Mouse  River  along  the  boundary  (Coues). 
Dufferin :  Arrived  between  April  20  and  25  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Sum- 
mer resident ;  common ;  breeding  at  Lake  Winnipeg  (Hine).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Tolerably  common;  summer  resident;  first  seen  April  27, 1885, 
April  23,  1886;  abundant  on  La  Salle  River  and  on  Horse  Greek  near 
Westbourne  (Nash).  Found  in  all  the  smaller  ponds  and  lakes;  v  ry 
common  in  streams  around  the  Porcupine  Mountain ;  feeding  on  vege- 
table substances  and  quite  edible,  unlike  ilf.  americantis  (Macoun).  Oar- 
berry:  Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  breeding  (Thompson).  Shell 
River:  1885,  first  seen,  eight,  on  May  11;  is  common  all  summer  and 
breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds; 
arrives  April  20  (Guernsey).    Trout  Lake  (Murray). 

22.  Anas  bosphas.    Mallard. 

Very  abundant.;  summer  resident;  general  distribution  in  grassy 
freshwater  marshes,  etc.;  breeds  abundantly  throughout  the  region  in 
suitable  places,  from  Pembina  along  the  boundary  to  the  Bookies 


VOL.  xni,l 
0.   J 


1890. 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


475 


(Goues).  Dafferin :  Arrived  between  April  15  aud  20  (Dawson).  Winni- 
peg: Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hiue).  Ossowa:  Ci>mmon;  breeding; 
1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  April  C ;  next  seen,  April  13  (Wagner).  Swampy 
Island:  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  April  IG;  next  seen,  April  20;  became 
common  April  26 ;  breeds  here  in  fall ;  last  seen  October  1 ;  1886,  first 
seen,  two  on  April  16;  next  seen,  April  17;  (Pluukett).  Oak  Point: 
1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  April  7 ;  next  seen,  April  8  ;  became  common 
on  April  11 ;  breeds  bere  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  1884,  very  com- 
mon ;  summer  resident ;  first  seen,  March  30  ;  a  few  sometimes  remain 
till  after  the  snow  covers  the  ground  (Nash).  The  most  abundant  duck 
of  the  Northwest,  breeding  in  nearly  all  the  marshes  north  of  the  bound- 
ary (Macoun).  Garberry:  Abundant  in  migration;  a  few  breed; 
Souris  Plain;  Turtle  Mountain ;  LongBiver;  Fingerboard;  near  Rapid 
Gity;  near  Two  Rivers ;  Pine  River;  Portage  la  Prairie  (Thompson). 
Brandon :  April  13,  1»82  (Wood).  Dalton :  1889,  first  seen,  fonr,  on 
March  21;  next  seen  on  March  23;  became  common  on  March  26; 
breeds  here  (Yunmans).  Shell  River:  Common  summer  resident; 
breeds ;  in  1885,  first  seen,  twelve,  on  April  6  ;  afterwards  seen 
every  day  (Galcutt).  Qu'Appelle  :  Gommon  summer  resident ;  breeds 
April  5  to  15  (Guernsey).  Trout  Lake  Station  and  Severn  House  (Mur- 
ray). Near  Cumberland  House  are  found  in  vast  multitudes  (Hearne, 
1773). 

June  11 :  While  roaming  in  Sprnce  Bush,  to-day,  I  came  suddenly 
I  across  a  wild  duck  (Mallard)  with  her  newly  hatched  brood.  She  was 
pleading  them  to  the  water,  which  was  a  considerable  distance  away, 
perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  aud  in  this  locality  the  forest  was  high 
and  dry.  The  old  dnck  ran  to  meet  me  and  then  put  in  practice  all  the 
usual  stratagems  to  cover  the  retreat  of  her  brood;  meanwhile  the  little 
i  ones  scattered  and  ran,  "  peeping  "  in  all  directions,  and  soon  all  had 
hidden  themselves  from  view,  except  five,  which  I  caught.  The  remain- 
ing four  or  five  I  did  not  try  to  ger,  but  left  them  lor  the  mother  to 
gather  together  again.  My  little  captives  I  took  home  with  me,  fondly 
believing  I  could  rear  them. 

On  October  30, 1886,  saw  three  Mallard  at  Smith's  Lake.  I  have  often 
lain  in  the  long  grass  on  the  bank  of  some  pond  aud  watched  the  whole 
family  as  they  played  about  on,  the  glassy  surface,  now  splashing  the 
water  over  the  backs,  apparently  to  show  how  they  mean  to  do  it  when 
they  are  big  rather  than  for  any  present  benefit,  and  now  rushing  patter- 
ing over  the  surface  in  pursuit  of  some  passing  fly  and  generally  with 
success  crowning  the  effort,  for  when  young  they  feed  almost  exclusively 
,  on  insect  food.  I  touched  one  of  the  tall  stems  so  that  the  top  shook; 
the  watchful  mother  failed  not  to  observe  that  there  was  something  in 
I  the  rushes,  and  slowly  led  her  brood  In  another  direction ;  or  if  I  stood 
I  up  in  full  view,  she  gave  to  her  startled  brood  the  watchword  of  alarm, 
which  to  judge  from  her  actions  may  be  translated  '-scatter  and  run 
for  your  lives  into  the  rushes  while  I  divert  the  brute's  attention." 


476 


THE  BIRDS  OP  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


There  have  been  times  when  it  was  the  necessity  for  food  that  led 
me  where  I  have  observed  such  scenes  as  that  described,  but  I  can  say 
truly  that  each  time  the  brave  mother  was  allowed  to  go  in  peace  and 
the  hunt  was  prolonged  until  another  though  perhaps  a  less  palatable 
victim  was  found  and  sacrificed. 

They  arrive  early  in  April,  frequently  before  the  lakes  or  large  alonghe  are  free 
from  ice,  resorting  to  the  wet  prairies  and  stubble-fields;  the  great  bullc  are  paire<2 
when  they  reach  hero  and  they  soon  commence  nesting,  their  nests  being  made  in  all 
sorts  of  places.  I  have  found  them  ib  the  marshy  sloughs  on  the  open  prairie,  near 
water  usually,  and  once  in  the  bush  at  least  a  half  a  mile  from  a  very  small  stream 
that  always  diied  up  during  the  summer,  but  which  was  the  only  water  for  a  long 
distance. 

About  the  middle  of  May  the  females  commence  to  set ;  the  drakes  then  molt,  los- 
ing their  brilliant  plumage ;  whilst  undergoing  this  change  they  gather  together  into 
small  flocks  of  about  five  or  six  and  hide  themselves  in  the  rushes,  from  which  it  is 
very  hard  to  dislodge  them  even  with  good  dogs. 

In  September  they  gather  into  flocks,  young  audold  tognther,and  visit  the  wheat  and 
barley  stubbles,  rapidly  becoming  fat ;  the  drakes  at  this  time  begin  to  show  the 
green  feathers  on  their  heads,  and  by  the  time  they  leave  they  have  acquired  their 
perfect  plumage. 

A  few  frequently  remain  for  some  little  time  after  the  snow  has  covered  the  ground; 
these  I  have  seen  feeding  around  the  base  of  the  stacks  and  resorting  to  Lake  Mani- 
toba for  water  ;  in  1885  they  were  abundant  up  to  November  9,  but  left  on  the  day, 
after,  for  on  the  11th  I  saw  the  last  of  the  season,  a  single  bird  only. 

On  the  15th  of  September,  18^,  I  shot  a  large  drake,  which  had  pure  white  pinion 
feathers  and  a  broad  band  of  white  from  the  usual  ring  around  the  neck  to  the  breast ; 
this  bird  was  with  seven  others,  all  of  the  usual  color  and  size.    (Nash,  in  MSS.) 

23.  Anas  obsoura.    Black  Duck.    Dusky  Dock.  ' 

Very  rare  summer  resident  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident ;  rare ;  only 
two  specimens  in  10  years,  one  at  Long  Lake,  one  at  Lake  Winnipeg 
(Hine).  Bed  River  Valley :  Very  rare;  Manitoba  is  their  most  western 
limit  (Hunter).  I  have  received  a  specimen  and  seen  others  from  York 
Factory  (Blakiston). 

24.  Anaa  atrepera.    Oadwall.    Gray  Dnok. 

Bare  summer  resident ;  abundant  throughout  the  region  along  the 
Boundary  from  Pembina  to  the  Rockies ;  breeds  (Goues).  Winnipeg : 
Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Bed  River  Valley :  Sum- 
mer resident;  tolerably  common  at  Lake  Manitoba  (Hunter).  Breeding 
on  Shoal  Lake  (D.  Ounn).  Only  one  specimen  shot  on  the  Assiniboine, 
September,  1881  ( Macoun).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Rare ;  have  shot  a  few 
in  the  autumn  near  Lake  Manitoba  (Nash).  Qu'Appelle:  Common 
summer  resident ;  breeds ;  April  20  (Guernsey). 

25.  Anaa  ameiloana.    Baldpate,  or  Widgeon. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident ;  abundant  throughout  theregion 
along  the  boundary  from  Pembina  to  the  Rockies;  breeds  (Cones). 
Dufferin :  Arrived  between  April  20  and  25  (Dawson).    Winnipeg:  Sum- 


VOL.  XIII.I 
1890.  J 


PBOCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


477 


mer  resident;  tolerably  oommon  (Hioe).  Selkirk  Settlements:  Breed- 
ing ;  Lake  Winnipeg  in  the  breeding  season  in  considerable  numbers 
(D.  Gunn).  Swampy  Island :  1885,  first  seen,  four,  on  May  10 ;  next  seen, 
May  11;  bulk  arrived  May  12;  is  common,  and  breeds  here;  in  fall, 
last  seen,  October  2;  1886,  first  four  on  May  10;  bulk  arrived  on  May 
13  (Plunkett).  A  specimen  from  between  Lake  Winnipeg  and  Hudson 
Bay  in  Smithsonian  Institution  (Blakiston).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Abundant  summer  resident ;  breeding  at  Lake  Manitoba  and  in  all  the 
sloughs  in  this  vicinity ;  this  is  the  last  duck  to  arrive  in  the  spring  and . 
the  first  to  leave  in  the  fall ;  in  1884,  first  seen,  April  16  (Nash).  Sil- 
ver Greek:  July  5, 1882,  shot  a  Widgeon,  female;  apparently  breed- 
ing; length,  18;  extension,  33 ;  gizzard  full  of  shell-fish  (Thompson). 
Shell  River :  1885,  first  seen,  a  pair  on  May  12 ;  next  seen,  four,  on  May 
23;  is  common  all  summer,  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Frequent  on 
the  Assiniboine ;  1881  (Macoun).  Qu'Appelle :  Oommon  summer  resi* 
dent;  breeds;  April  20  (Guernsey). 

26.  Anas  oarollnendia.    Green-winged  Teal. 

Abundant  migrant;  many  breeding;  extremely  abundant  throughout 

the  region  along  the  boundary  from  Pembina  to  the  Rockies  in  Augu.st ; 

doubtless  some  breed  (Goues).    Duit'erin:  Arrived  between  15th  and 

1 20th  (Dawson).    Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant;  breeding 

[(Hine).    Swampy  Island :  188.5,  first  seen,  two,  on  May  3 ;  next  seen,  the 

jbulk.  May  6;  is  tolerably  common,  and  breeds  here;  in  fall,  last  seen 

[September  1;  1886,  first  seen  five  on  May  8;  bulk  arrived  May  10 

( Plunkett).    Very  common  near  Norway  House ;  scarce  northward  ( Bell, 

1 1880).    Portage  la  Prairie :  18^4,  abundant  migrant  and  common  sum- 

[mer  resident,  arriving  at  about  the  same  time  as  the  Mallard,  but  leav- 

j  ing  as  soon  as  the  sloughs  are  frozen  over ;  I  have  found  flappers  as  late 

i  as  the  15th  of  August  (Nash).    Rarely  found  breeding  on  the  plains ; 

I  apparently  goes  further  north ;  .in  immense  flocks  on  the  Assiniboine 

in  the  fall  of  1881  (Macoun).    Oarberry:  common ;  breeding ;  Silver 

I  Greek,  Rapid  Gity  (Thompson).    Dalton :  1889,  first  seen,  two,  on  April 

15;  next  seen  on  April  16,  when  it  became  common;  does  not  breed 

here  (Youmans).    Brandon :  April  20, 1882  (Wood).    Shell  River :  1885, 

[first  seen,  a  pair  on  May  2 ;  afterward  seen  every  day ;  is  common  all 

[summer,  and  breeds  here  (Galcutt).    Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer 

[resident;  breeds  April  5  to  15  (Guernsey). 

On  June  29, 1882,  at  Rapid  Gity,  Dr.  A.  S.  Thompson  shot  a  Green- 

I  winged  Teal  with  his  rifle.    Although  shot  through  the  belly  it  was  not 

killed,  but  flew  with  its  entrails  trailing,  and  it  required  a  charge  of  dust 

shot  to  finish  it.    It  was  a  male;  length,  15;  extension,  23;  gizzard 

Ifnll  of  shell  fish.    This  species  is  very  abundant  throughout  the  whole 

lof  the  pondy  prairie  region  from  here  to  Garberry.    It  is  usually  met 

jwith  in  pairs  and  is  of  a  very  affectionate  disposition,  for  if  one  be  shot 

the  other  either  remains  to  share  its  fate,  or  if  it  does  fly  at  first,  usually 


478 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


returns  almost  immediately  to  the  side  of  its  mate.  I  found  it  an  ex- 
pert diver,  for  often  one  of  them  would  disappear  at  the  approach  of  the 
gunner  and  be  seen  no  more;  doubtless  it  had  swam  under  water  to  the 
nearest  reed-bed,  in  whose  friendly  shelter  it  was  securely  hiding. 

On  July  5,  at  Silver  Greek,  came  across  a  female  Green-winged  Teal 
traveling  with  her  brood  often  young  ones  across  the  prairie  towards  a 
large  pool.  The  mother  bird  was  i!i  great  grief  on  finding  that  she  waH 
discovered,  but  she  would  not  fly  away ;  she  threw  herself  on  the  ground 
at  my  feet  and  beat  with  her  wings  as  though  quite  unable  to  escape 
and  tried  her  utmost  to  lead  me  away.  But;  I  was  familiar  with  the 
triclt  and  would  not  be  beguiled.  I  cauglit  most  of  the  tiny  yellow 
dowulings  before  they  could  hide  and  carried  them  carefully  to  the  pool, 
where  soon  afterward  the  trembling  mother  rejoined  them  in  safety. 

This  species,  I  think,  unlike  the  blue-wing,  usually  nests  quite  close 
to  the  water,  so  that  it  was  probably  owing  to  the  drying  up  of  the  pond 
that  this  newly  hatched  brood  found  themselves  forced  to  take  an  over- 
land journey  of  considerable  extent  before  they  could  find  a  sufficiency 
of  water. 

27.  Anas  discors.    Bine-winged  Teal.  • 

Very  abundant ;  summer  resident ;  general  distribution  in  the  prairie 
regions;  along  the  boundary,  Mouse  River,  in  fore  part  of  August 
becomes  very  abundant;  doubtless  breeds  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Sum- 
mer resident;  abundant;  breeding  (Hiiie).  Sparingly  at  Shoal  Lake 
and  Lake  Winnipeg  (Brewer).  Swamp  Island:  1885;  breeds  here;  last 
seen  August  20  ( Plunkett).  Shoal  Lake,  May  19, 1887  (Christy).  Port- 
age la  Prairie:  Very  abundant ;  summer  resident,  and  like  the  mallard 
nesting  wherever  it  takes  a  fancy  to  do  so ;  in  1S81  first  seen  April  16 
(Nash).  Breeds  abundantly  around  marshy  ponds  in  the  prairie 
country ;  exceedingly  abundant  in  fall  of  1880 ;  rare  in  Assiniboine  in 
September,  1881  (Macoun).  Carl>erry:  Common;  breeding;  Souris 
Plains,  Turtle  Mountain,  Long  River,  Rapid  City,  and  the  whole  south 
slope  of  Riding  Mountain  (Thompson).  Dalton:  1889,  first  seen,  one 
on  April  18;  next  seen,  May  15,  when  it  became  common;  breeds  here 
(Youmans).  Shell  River;  1885,  first  seen,  a  pair  on  May  2,  at^erwards 
every  day;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Ap- 
pelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds  Alay  10  (Guernsey). 

1  have  frequently  remarked  that  during  the  breeding  season  this 
species  may  be  seen  coursing  over  and  around  the  ponds  in  threes,  and 
these  when  shot  usually  prove  a  male  and  two  females.  After  dark 
they  may  be  identitied  during  these  maneuvers  by  their  swift  flight 
and  the  peculiar  chirping,  almost  a  twittering,  that  they  indulge  in  as 
they  fly. 

On  August  19, 1882,  at  Markle's  Lake,  shot  a  Blue-winged  Teal.  TIiIh 
sheet  of  water  is  not  more  than  3  acres;  it  has  hard  banks,  almost  en- 
tirely without  rushes  t)r  other  cover,  and  is  a  mile  or  more  from  the 


vol..  XIII,  1 
1800.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


479 


Dearest  pond.  This  duck  is  very  abundant  in  the  country,  and  £  think 
it  usually  nests  much  farther  from  the  water  than  any  of  its  near  con- 
geners. Like  the  Green-wing  it  is  a  good  diver,  but  it  is  less  wary  and 
more  easily  shot;  it  seems  to  prefer  the  smaller  ponds  and  leaves  the 
large  sheets  to  the  Mallard  and  other  large  ducks. 

28.  Anas  cyanoptera.    Cinnamon  Teal. 

Very  rare;  straggler;  I  have  taken  the  Cinnamon  Teal  at  Oak  Lake, 
and  I  think  also  at  Lake  Manitoba,  but  during  fifteen  years'  resi- 
dence in  Manitoba  1  have  only  seen  five  or  six  specimens  (B.  H.  Hun- 
ter). 

29.  Spatula  clypeata.     Shoveler  or  Spoonl)!!!. 

Abundant  summer  resident,  of  general  distribution;  abundant 
throughout  the  region  along  the  boundary  from  Pembina  to  the 
Rockies;  breeding  on  Mouse  River  (Cones).  Dufterin:  Arrived  between 
April  20  and  25  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant 
(nine).  Breeding  at  i>'ed  River,  Shoal  Lake,  and  Lake  Winnipeg 
(Brewer).  Swampy  Island :  1886,  first  seen,  six,  on  May  28;  abundant 
summer  resident  (Plunkett).  On  Lake  Winnipeg,  the  young  were 
nearly  full  grown  in  the  beginning  of  July  (Bell,  1880).  Shoal  Lake: 
Breeding  May  17,  18S7  (Christy).  Portage  la  Prairie :  1884,  common 
summer  resident;  breeds  in  most  of  the  sloughs  near  here;  I  have  only 
once  seen  anything  like  a  flock  of  these  birds,  and  then  there  were  not 
more  than  a  dozen  of  them;  they  arrive  late  and  deiiart  as  soon  as  the 
shallow  waters  they  frequent  are  frozen ;  in  1884,  first  seen  April  10 
(Nash).  Observed  great  numbers  in  August  on  the  prairie  ponds 
about  Pleasant  Hills;  breeding  on  ponds  throughout  the  prairie,  but 
more  abundantly  throughout  the  copsewood  region  (Macoun).  Bran- 
don, Pembina,  and  Rapid  City :  Breeding  (Thompson).  Dalton : 
1889,  first  seer,  one  on  April  16;  is  common,  and  breeds  here  (You 
mans).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  a  pair  on  May  8;  next  si-en,  four 
on  May  22;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt). 
Qn'Appello:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  May  1  (Guernsey). 
Trout  Lake  (Murray). 


30.  Dafila  acuta.    Pintail. 

Common  summer  resident  of  general  distribution;  abundant  through- 
lout  the  region  along  the  boundary  westward  from  Pembina,  in  summer 
las  well  as  in  fall  (Cones).  Duflerin:  Arrived  between  April  15  and  20 
|(I)iiw8on).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Red  River 
jto  Hudson's  Bay  (Blaklston).  Breeds  near  Norway  House  (Bell,  1880). 
Osowa:  Common;  breeding;  1885,  first  seen,  one  on  April  7,  next  seen 
tprll  10;  became  common  April  20;  last  seen,  thirteen,  on  November 
(Wagner).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant;  summer  resident;  frstseen 
in  1884,  April  16;  arriving  early,  generally  with  the  Mallard,  but  leav- 


m 
*  m 


;J 


480 


THE   BIRDS   OF  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


ing  mach  earlier,  the  first  frost  driving  them  out  (Nash).  Garberry: 
Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  breeding;  Souris  Plain,  Turtle 
Mountain,  Fingerboard,  near  Rapid  City  (Thompson).  Dalton:  1889, 
first  seen,  about  ten,  on  March  21 ;  seen  every  day  afterwards;  became 
common  on  March  23;  breeds  here  (Toumans).  Brandon :  April 9, 1882 
(Wood).  Breeding  on  the  prairies  south  of  Pipestone  Creek  (Macoun). 
Shell  Biver :  1885,  first  seen,  four,  on  April  20,  afterwards  seen  every 
day,  male  and  female;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt). 
Qu'Appelle :  Common  summer  resident ;  breeds  April  5  to  15  ((xuern- 
sey).    Trout  Lake  Station  and  Severn  House  (Murray). 

31.  Aiz  sponsa.    Wood  Duck. 

Bare  summer  resident;  several  small  fiocks  in  latter  part  of  Septem- 
ber, north  of  Bed  Biver,  in  Minnesota,  feeding  on  wild  rice  (Kennicott). 
Bat  Portage:  October  10, 1886,  found  tlie  head  of  a  male  Wood  Duck 
lying  on  the  shore  (Thompson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  rare 
(Hine).  I  have  seen  the  Wood  Duck  {Aix  sponsa)  at  Westbourne,  and 
it  is  always  to  be  found  along  Cook's  Creek,  east  of  Winnipeg  (Bun 
ter).  Portage  la  Prairie:  A  rare  and  local  summer  resident,  but  I  think 
increasing;  previous  to  September  21,  1884, 1  never  saw  any  in  this 
neighborhood,  though  I  had  heard  that  a  few  pnirs  always  bred  on  the 
White  Mud  Biver,  near  Westbourne,  on  that  day;  I  saw  two  on  the 
Assiniboine  the  following  year ;  two  or  three  broods  were  raised  here, 
out  of  which,  in  September,  I  shot  several,  and  on  the  9th  of  October  I 
killed  one  of  the  handsomest  drakes  I  have  ever  seen ;  its  plumage  was 
simply  perfect  (Nash).  Observed  on  Lake  Winnepegosis  by  Mr.  Tyr- 
rell (Macoun).  Carberry:  A  single  pair  taken  in  1883  (Thompson). 
Qu'Appelle:  I  knowofone  being  shot  here  in  five  years  (Guernsey).  A 
male  killed  at  Cumberland  House,  June,  1827  ( liichardsou).  Mr.  Hine, 
of  Winnipeg,  showed  me  some  fine  specimens  taken  at  Oake  Winnipeg; 
he  described  it  as  regular,  though  not  common,  in  the  mouths  of  such 
creeks  as  flow  through  the  heavy  timber  into  Lake  Winnipeg;  Devils' 
Creek  is  a  favorite  place,  and  here  they  are  found  feeding  largely  on 
the  wild  potato  which  grows  on  the  overhanging  banks,  so  that  the 
bird  may  gather  it  without  leaving  the  water;  Hudson's  Bay;  Moose 
Factory;  Trout  Lake  Station  (Murray). 

32.  Aythya  amerloana.    Uetl  lioad. 

Common  summer  resident;  breeding  abundantly  throughout  the  region 
along  the  boundary  from  Pembina  to  the  l{o(;kieH  (Coues).  Swamp 
Island  :  Breeds  here  ;  last  seen  Septiunber  11  (IMnnkett).  Winnepeg; 
summer  resident;  abundant  (Eline).  Breeding  at  Oak  Point  Lake, 
Manitoba,  Shoal  Lake,  and  Selkirk  Settlement  (1).  Gunn).  Portage  li 
Prairie:  Abundant;  summer  resident;  breeding  in  all  the  lakes  and 
large  sloughs;  I  have  frequently  shot  flappers  on  the  ITtthof  August; 
they  arrive  as  soon  as  the  rivers  are  open  and  stay  until  uoopeu  wate" 


VOL.  XIII.T 

1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


481 


is  left ;  iu  1884,  first  seen  April  16  (Nash.)  Breeds  abundantly  on  the 
marshes  of  Waterben  River  (Macoun).  Oarberry:  Tolerably  common; 
summer  resident;  breeding  (Thompson).  Shell  River:  J885,  first  seen, 
a  pair  on  May  3,  afterwards  seen  every  day  ;  is  common  all  summer 
and  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident; 
breeds ;  April  23  (Guernsey). 

Oak  Point.  We  procured  some  duck  nests  and  among  them  were  two  Aythya 
americana,  (Red-head  ducks'  nests),  one  containing  eight  eggs,  the  other  nineteen. 
Wlien  I  was  there  iu  1865  wo  found  one  belonging  to  the  same  kind  of  duck  con- 
taining nineteen  or  twenty  eggs.  Tlio  Indians  accuse  tliis  duck  of  dishonesty, 
stating  it  to  have  very  little  respect  for  the  riglits  of  property,  b^ing  inclined 
to  rob  other  ducks  of  their  eggs  and  place  them  iuits  own  nest.  This  species  and 
the  canvas-back  are  both  found  at  Shoal  Lake  and  s^t  Manitoba,  but  nowhere  in 
great  numbers.     (D.  Guun.) 

33.  Aythya  vallisneria.     Canvas-back. 

Uncommon;  a  few  breed  ;  at  Turtle  Mountain  in  July  (at  the  bound- 
I  ary)  I  saw  several  broods  of  partly  grown  young ;  iu  most  of  the  region, 
however,  the  bird  is  leris  numerous  than  the  Red-head  (Ooues).  Win- 
nipeg: Fairly  common  on  Lake  Manitoba,  but  not  generally  breeding 
(Hine).  Red  Uiver  Valley  :  Transient  visitant ;  rare  (Hunter).  Oak 
Poiutand  Shoal  Lake:  breeding (Gunn).  Swampy  Islands:  1885,  first 
seen,  sixty,  on  May  10 ;  next  seen,  IMay  20 ;  last  seen  May  25  ;  does  not 
Jbreed  hero;  is  very  abundant  in  fall  and  spring  amongst  open  places  in 
^ce  on  lake  (Plunkett).  Portage  la  Prairie :  1881,  first  seen  April  16; 
[•oinmon  in  spring,  particularly  if  the  lowlands  should  be  flooded  ;  in 
1882,  during  the  spring  freshet  they  were  abundant,  in  the  aututim  ; 
they  are  less  frequently  y  on  ;  some,  however,  breed  on  Lake  Manitoba, 
for  on  the  18th  of  Septen  her,  1886,  1  saw  four  young  birds  in  a  game 
jtlealer's  shop  in  Winnipeg,  the  proprietor  of  whicii  told  me  he  had  Just 
received  them  from  there,  and  a  friend  who  knows  the  birds  well  also 
jinformed  me  that  he  had  shot  them  on  the  same  lake  when  they 
Bould  scarcely  fly  (Nash).  Qu'Appelle :  Gommon  migrant ;  April  23 
(Guernsey). 

I  am  positive  that  the  canvas-back  never  breeds  in  Manitoba.  I  have  shot  in  the 
Spring  every  year  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  and  have  not  seen  ten  canvas-back  ducks 
luring  tiuit  time.  I  have  occasionally  shot  them  in  the  autumn,  in  the  proportion 
»f  one  canvas-back  to  two  hundred  other  ducks.    (Rich  H.  Hunter,  in  MS8.,  May, 

J885.) 

14.  Aythya  marila  nearctlca.    American  Scaup  Duck.    Big  niuebill  or  Black- head. 

Common  migrant;  a  few  breed.  Dufterin  :  Arrived  between  April 
^."i  and  30  (Dawson).  Specimen  in  Smithsonian  Institution,  from  Red 
tiver  Settlement  (Hlakiston).  Winnepeg:  Abundant  (Hine).  Red 
liver  Valley:  Abundant  migrants,  but  1  can  not  concur  that  it  c^m- 
lonly  breeds  in  Manitoba  (Hunter).  Breeding  at  Lake  Winnipeg  (I), 
hum).  A  few  breeding  iu  Lake  Winnipegosis,  June,  1881  (Macoun). 
^ortage  la  Prairie :  Fall  migrant ;  uommuu  in  spring,  arriving  as  soou 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 31 


482 


THE    BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


as  the  rivers  are  open  ;  not  so  frequently  obtained  in  the  antamn,  prin- 
cipally, I  think,  because  it  confines  itself  to  the  large  lakes,  seldom 
visiting  the  creeks  or  sloughs  at  that  season ;  it  remains  until  it  is  fro- 
zen out;  in  1884,  first  seen  April  16  (Il^ash,  in  M8S.). 

Carberry:  Abundant;  migrfint (Thompson).  Qu'Appelle:  Common 
summer  resident;  breeds ;  arrives  April  20  in  flocks,  with  lesser  Blue- 
bills  and  Ring-neck  (Guernsey). 

35.  Aythya  affinis.    Lesser  Scanp  Dack.    Little  Blue-bill. 

Abundant  summer  resident,  of  general  distribution.  Winnipeg : 
Abundant;  breeding  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley :  Abundant,  chiefly  in 
autumn ;  not  commonly  breeding  (Hunter).  Swamp  Island :  1885,  first 
seen,  four,  on  May  12 ;  next  seen  May  13,  when  it  becomes  common ;  is 
abundant  and  breeds  here;  1886,  first  seen,  two,  on  May  5  ;  bulk  ar- 
rived on  xMay  11  (Plunkett).  Shoal  Lake:  May  19,  1887  (Christy). 
Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant  summer  resident;  breeding  on  all  the 
prairie  sloughs  of  any  size ;  it  arrives  as  soon  as  there  is  any  open 
water,  and  remains  so  long  as  there  is  a  hole  in  the  ice  big  enough  to 
ho^d  it ;  in  1881,  first  seen  April  16  (Nash).  Breeding  more  commonly 
than  the  preceding  (1881)  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Abundant  summer 
resident;  breeding;  Brandon,  Souris  Plain,  south  slope  of  Riding 
^fountain  (Thompson).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  two  pair,  on  May 
1 ;  afterwards  seen  every  day  ;  it  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  hero 
(Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives 
April  20  (Guernsey).    Severn  House  (Murray). 

36.  Aythya  oollaris.    Ring-necked  Duck.    Marsh  Blue-bill. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident.  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident : 
common  (Hine).  Swamp  Island:  1885,  first  seen,  six,  on  May  9;  next 
seen,  the  bulk,  on  May  10;  tolerably  common  ;  breeds  here  (Plunkett). 
Breeding  in  the  marshes  of  Waterhen  River,  1881  (Macoun).  Portage 
la  Prairie:  Common  summer  resident;  frequently  confounded  with  the 
last,  and  they  are  both  frequently  more  than  confounded  by  persons 
who  shoot  them,  for  if  there  is  only  one  kick  left  in  them  when  they  drop 
tl)«y  will  utilize  that  to  such  good  purpose  that  they  will  get  undoi 
cover  beneath  the  water,  where  they  conceal  themselves  so  well  that  it 
is  almost  useless  to  try  to  retrieve  them  (Nash).  Qu'Appelle:  Co»- 
nion  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  April  20  (Guernsey). 

37.  Olauoionetta olangula  amerioana.  American  Onldcn-cye.  Whistler.  Tree  Duck. 

Rare  summer  resident.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  com 
mon(nitu').    Red  River  Valley  :  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common ; 
I  have  taken  twenty-one  eggs  out  of  one  nest  in  an  old  oak  tree  at 
Shoal  Lake,  near  Winnipeg  (Hunter).    Swampy   Island:  1886,  first 
seen,  six,  on  May  5 ;  next  seen  on  May  0 ;  became  common  May  8;  is 


VOL.  XIII,'! 

1890.  J 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


483 


common ;  is 
5 ;  bulk  ar- 


tier, TreeDucK. 


tolerably  common,  and  breeds  here  (Plunkett).  "Common  Golden-eye 
or  Tree  Duck ;"  also  breeds  near  Norway  House  ( Bell,  1880).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Rare;  summer  resident;  comes  late  and  leaves  early ;  is  scarce 
in  the  shooting  season  ;  shot  one  in  August,  and  as  I  see  them  more  or 
less  all  summer,  I  assume  that  they  breed  here ;  arrives  about  the  end 
of  April  and  departs  early ;  I  have  rarely  seen,  one  after  the  1st  of 
September;  first  seen  April  27,  1885,  April  20,  38S6  (Nash).  A  few 
breed  in  the  Waterhen  River  marshes  (Macoun).  Oarberry :  Very  rare ; 
summer  resident;  June  23, 1883;  at  a  small  lake  in  the  woods  to  the 
south,  to-day,  I  saw  a  Whistler,  and  I  think  the  species  breeds  here 
(Thompson).  Shell  River :  1885,  first  seen,  one,  a  -  ale,  on  April  25  ; 
a  transient  visitor,  passing  north  and  not  remaining  any  time  or  breed- 
ing (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle :  Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  breeds ; 
arrives  April  15  (Guernsey). 

38.  Glaucionetta  islandica.    Barrow's  Golden-eye. 

I  shot  a  brace  at  Lake  Manitoba  in  1879,  and  a  drake  at  Shoal  Lake 
in  the  spring  of  the  following  year ;  and  I  saw  a  drake  which  was  killed 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River  (Hunter).  Winnipeg:  Rare;  straggler 
(Hine). 

39.  Charitonetta  albeola.    BiitHe-bead. 

Common  summer  resident ;  breeding  in  deep  ponds  that  are  fringed 
with  trees;  among  the  commonest  species  after  the  fall  migration, 
along  the  boundary  (Coues).  Duft'erin :  Arrived  between  April  20  and 
25  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Transient  visitor ;  abundant  (Hine).  Swamp 
Island :  ISS5,  first  seen,  about  twenty,  on  May  2L ;  next  seen  on  May 
22 ;  last  seen.  May  25 ;  is  common  in  migration  but  does  not  breed  ; 
1886,  first  seen,  six,  on  May  10 ;  bulk  arrived  May  13 ;  last  seen.  May 
li>( Plunkett).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant  in  spring  and  autumn,  some 
few  remaining  to  breed  ;  at  Lake  Champique,  near  Hedingly,  I  once 
found  young,  unable  to  fly,  on  the  15th  of  August ;  they  were  on  a 
prairie  slough,  at  least  three  miles  from  any  trees  (Na^^i).  Abundant 
in  ponds  in  the  autumn ;  not  seen  in  the  prairie  regions  (Macoun). 
Ciirberry:  Common  summer  resident ;  breeding  also  at  west  slope  of 
Duck  Mountain,  Portage  la  Prairie  (Thompson).  Shell  River:  1§85, 
first  seen,  two,  on  April  27 ;  next  seen,  May  20 ;  is  common  all  summer 
and  breeds  hero  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle :  Common  summer  resident ; 
breeds;  arrives  September  20  (Guernsey).  'Severn  House ;  Trout  Lake 
Station  (Murray). 

40.  Claiigulahyemalla    Old  Hqnaw.    Swallow-tnilod  Dnok.    Coween. 

Severn  House  (Murray),  and  during  winter  found  in  many  parts  of 
the  Mississippi  valley  (Cook),  therefore  probably  Manitoban. 


484 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


41.  HistrionicuB  histrionious.    Harlequin  Duck. 

This  bird  will  probably  be  found  in  Manitoba,  as  it  has  been  recorded 
from  near  Hudson's  Bay  (Butchins).  Breeds  in  British  America; 
•  *  *  throughout  Illinois  in  wii}ter,  and  has  been  taken  at  St.  Louis^ 
Missouri  (Oooke).  Breeding  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  near  the  boun- 
dary (Coues). 

Pow  is  tic  ou  sbeep ;  two  specimens,  both  drakes,  etc.  »  »  *  These  birds  are 
found  in  small  rivulets,  seldom  in  large  rivers,  about  90  miles  inland.  They  migrate 
to  the  southward  with  the  geose;  feed  on  grass  and  small  worms  it  the  bottom  of 
the  creeks;^  have  a  whistling  note;  thoy  build  their  uests  in  tho  grass,  and  lay  ten  or 
more  eggs,  resembling  those  of  a  pigeon  in  size  and  color.  The  naiiio  iu  the  Algon- 
quin language  implies  a  species  of  ducks  that  frequent  the  waterfalls  or  cataracts. 
The  young  brood  are  very  prettily  speckled.     (Hutchins  MSS.  Obs.  H.  Bay,  1782.) 

42.  Oidemia  amuricana.    American  Black  Scoter. 

Rare ;  migrant.  Winnipeg:  Transient  visitor;  rare  (Hine).  Swampy 
Island:  "  Black  Duck,"  1885,  first  seen,  four,  ou  May  19 ;  next  and  last 
seen  on  May  20 ;  is  rare  here  and  does  not  breed  (Plunkett).  Trout 
Lake  (Murray). 

43.  Oidemia  deglandi.    White-winged  Scoter. 

Rare;  migrant;  possibly  breeding.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tol- 
erably common;  Lake  Winnipeg  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley :  Tran- 
sient visitor;  tolerably  common  on  rocky  localities  (Hunter).  Occurs 
between  Hudson's  Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg  (Murray).  Near  Russell, 
Jiily  6,  1882  ;  Bitter  Lake,  Washington,  shot  a  velvet  scoter,  female; 
length  20,  extension  30 ;  sdl  over  duskj  ;  bill  gray ;  a  light  patch  near 
bill  and  one  behind  eye ;  secondaries  white ;  legs  dull  reddish ;  appar- 
ently breeding  (Thompson).  Qu'Appeile:  Common;  migrant;  May  1 
(Guernsey).    Trout  Lake  Station  ;  Severn  House  (Murray). 

44.  Oidemia  perspicillata.      Surf  Duck  or  Surf  Scoter. 

Uncommon;  migrant;  common  at  Lake  Winnipeg  (Hine).  Qu'Ap* 
pelle:  Rare  migrant;  May  1  (Guernsey).  Red  River  Valley  :  Tolerably 
common;  transient  visitor;  abundant  (Hunter).  A  specimen  from 
Nelson  Rirer  in  the  Smithsonian  Institution  (Blakiston). 

45.  Erismatura  rubida.     Ruddy  Duck. 

Summer  resident ;  breeding ;  common  and  breeding  in  suitable  places 
throughout  the  region  along  the  boundary ;  at  Turtle  Mountain  nesting 
in  numbers  in  the  pools  (Ooues).  Winnipeg :  At  few  are  seen  ejich  jear 
about  Long  Lake  when  it  breeds;  also  Lake  Winnipeg,  and  at  Shoal 
Lake  (Hine).  Tlio  Ruddy  Duck  is  sometimes  found  in  swamps  near  the 
Red  River,  but  thoy  are  more  numerous  at  Shoal  Lake  and  Mani- 
toba (D.  Gunn).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Shot  a  female  here  September  10, 
1884;   she  was  with  two  butHe-heads  at  the  time  (Nash).    Seen  at 


vol,.  XIII.l 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


485 


Touchwood  Hills  in  September,  out  not  in  Manitoba  (Macoun).  Shell 
River :  1885,  first  seen,  one  male,  on  May  23 ;  breeds  here ;  flaps  for  a 
few  yards  on  the  water  and  spreads  its  tail  and  shakes  its  head  like  a 
fan-tail  pigeon  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident; 
breeds  May  1  (Guernsey). 

46.  Chen  caerulescens.    Blue  Goose. 

Winnipeg:  Rare;  transient  visitant  (Hiue). 

47.  Cheu  hyperborea.    Snow  Goose  ;  White  Wavy. 

Abundant  spring  migrant;  less  common  in  the  fall;  abundant  dur- 
ing migration  along  the  boundary  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Transient 
visitor;  abundant;  going  north  to  breed  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley: 
Transient  visitor ;  abundant  (Hunter).  Swampy  Island :  1835,  first  seen, 
fonr,  on  May  7 ;  next  seen  on  May  10,  after  which  it  disappeared  ; 
never  common ;  does  not  breed,  and  is  rare  on  this  lake  (Plunkett). 
Migrant  at  Shoal  Lake  ((iunn).  Os.sowa  (Wagner).  Portage  ia 
Prairie :  1884,  abundant  spring  visitor  to  tlie  large  grasr,  marshes  near 
Portage  la  Prairie,  but  rarely  seen  in  the  autumn  in  that  neighbor- 
hood; near  Winnipeg  it  is,  however,  not  uncommon  in  October;  first 
soon  April  23, 1884  (Nash).  Carberry :  Seen  in  enormous  numbers  in 
spring,  and  in  much  less  numbers  in  the  fall  (Thompson).  Little  Sas- 
katchewan, near  St.  Martiir  fjake  :  Wavies,  as  the  half-breeds  term 
them  (Wa-wain  Cree)  {Anser  hifpcrboreiia),  flying  to  the  south  early 
this  morning  in  large  flocks,  were  regarded  as  a  sure  sign  of  approach- 
ing winter  (Sept.  27, 1858,  Hind).  Two  Rivers :  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on 
April  6 ;  next  seen, four,  on  April  18;  migrant  (Criddle).  Qu'Appelle: 
Transient ;  passing  over  May  3  to  28  (Guernsey).  Severn  Houee  (Mur- 
ray). 

In  Hudson's  Bay  tliey  are  the  shyest  aud  most  watchful  of  all  the  species  of  geese, 
never  suffering  au  opou  approach,  not  oven  within  two  or  three  gunshots.  Yet  in 
^<olne  of  the  rivers  near  Cumberland  House  and  at  Basquiau  the  Indians  frequently 
kill  twenty  at  one  shot ;  but  this  is  only  done  in  moonlight  nig'tts,  when  the  geese 
iiri'  sitting  on  the  mud  and  the  sportsmen  are  perfectly  concealed  from  their  view. 
(Ilearne,  1795.) 

Ill  April  the  ducks  and  geese  return  in  great  numbers,  become  plentiful,  and  feed 
in  numerous  flocks  in  all  the  marshes  fi 'nging  the  lakes  lor  at  least  a  mouth  and  a 
half.  The  gray  gee.se  and  ducks  draw  oil"  by  degrees  in  May,  but  the  white  geese 
(wiiwee)  come  generally  in  the  last  week  of  April,  and  begin  to  clear  away  for 
Hudson's  Bay  on  the  l!Uh  or  14tli  of  May,  where  they  invariably  arrive  on  the  15th 
of  Ma;'.  The  last  of  them  leave  here  from  the  iiOth  to  the  25th  of  the  same  mouth. 
(D.  Gunn.) 

These  birds  pass  over  the  country  in  countless  numbers  each  spring,  generally  ar- 
riving in  large  bands  about  the  I5th  of  May,  although  1  have  seen  stragglers  as  early 
as  the  28th  of  April.  A  groat  number  of  immense  (locks  generally  remain  in  the 
Province  for  a  couple  of  weeks  to  "  take  in  sand  "  and  feed.  Tliey  are  very  easily  shot 
whileon  tho gravel  grounds :  they  appear  very  stupid  (i.  e.,  in  the  morning  and  even- 
ing). When  not  taking  in  sand  and  gravel  they  are  very  didicult  to  approach  and 
are  as  wary  as  any  geese.    Those  birds  are  rarely  Seen  in  the  autumn.    The    alf- 


486 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


breeds  say  that  they  do  not  pass  over  Manitoba  on  their  return,  but  take  a  uioro' 
western  course.  Although  I  have  spent  two  weeks  every  October  for  the  past  15  years 
in  shooting,  I  have  never  seen  more  than  an  occasional  ilock  of  perhaps  fifty  birds  ia 
the  autumn.    (Hunter,  in  MSS.) 


48.    Anser  albifrons  gambeli. 


American  White-fronted  Goose. 
Specklebelly. 


Laughing  Goose. 


Winnipeg:  Migrant;  transient  visitor,  rare  (Hine).  Anser  frontalis 
of  Baird  from  Eed  Kiver  Settlement  (Blalsiston).  Ossowa:  Migraut; 
May  11  (Wagner).  Shell  Biver,  1885,  first  seen,  eighteen,  on  April  10 ; 
a  transient  visitor,  passing  north  and  not  breeding  or  remaining  any 
time  (Oalcutt).  Near  Long  Biver,  May  19, 1882,  C.  T.  shot  a  pair  of 
White-fronted  Geese,  hut  secured  only  the  male;  length,  27^;  extension, 
58;  testes  but  little  developed;  gizzard  full  of  young  shoots  of  aquatic 
plants ;  a  peculiar  wart  or  excrescence  grew  on  the  tibio-tarsal  joint. 
No  others  of  the  species  were  seen  (Tho.npson).  Near  Cumberland 
House  and  Basquiau  they  are  found  in  such  numbers  that;  the  Indians 
in  moonlight  nights  frequently  kill  upwards  of  twenty  at  a  shot 
(Hearue,  1795). 

49.    Branta  canadensis.    Canada  Goose.    Wild  Goose.    Wavy. 

Abundant;  migrant;  a  few  breed;  common  at  boundary  along  Mouse 
Biver  in  late  September  (Ooues).  Winnipeg:  Sum  mt>r  resident;  abun- 
dant; a  few  breea  (Hine).  Bed  Biver  Settlement:  April  2, 1856,  April 
1,  1858  (Blakiston).  Bed  Biver  Valley:  Abundant  in  migration;  a 
few  breed  (Hunter).  Breeding  on  Lake  Winnipeg  in  June  (Kennicott). 
Swamp  Island,  1885:  First  seen,  eighteen,  on  April  14 ;  next  seen  April 
15,  when  it  became  common;  breeds  here;  in  fall;  last  seen  Septem- 
ber 23|  188G;  first  seen,  four,  on  April  8;  bulk  arrived  April  16  (Plun- 
kett).  Ossowa:  Common;  breeding,  1885;  last  seeu,  fifteen^  on  No- 
vember 28  (Wagner).  Oak  Point,  1885,  April  7  (Small).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Oommon  in  spriog  and  fall;  a  few  breed  in  the  marshes  near 
Lake  Manitoba;  arrives  about  the  middle  of  April  or  before  should 
there  be  open  water;  departs  when  all  th..  lakes  and  rivers  are  frozen 
over,  usually  about  the  10th  of  November  (Nash).  In  1879,  breediug 
on  the  Assiniboiue,  whera  Tirandon  now  is;  also  above  the  rapids  (Ma- 
coun).  Two  Bivers,  1885 :  Great  flight  April  1;  next  April  3;  common 
iu  spring  and  fall  (Griddle).  Brandon:  Two  young  taken  on  the  river 
August  25, 1882  (Wood).  Dalton,  1889 :  First  seen,  about  fifteen,  on 
March  21 ;  next  seen  on  March  22 ;  became  common  on  March  26 ;  was 
last  seen  May  10;  rarely  breeds  here  (Yoemans).  Shell  Biver,  1885: 
First  seen,  fifteen,  on  April  9;  afterwards  se<'n  nearly  every  day  in  the 
migrating  seasou  ;  odd  pairs  breed  near  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'  Appellor 
Common  summer  resident ;  breeds  April  1  to  10  (Guernsey)  Oarberry : 
Abundant  in  migration ;  rarely  breeding  south  of  Souris  Biver ;  mi 
grant ;  breeding  near  Shoal  Lake,  west  (Thompson). 


VOL.  XIIl.l 
1890.  J 


PROCEEDINGS  OP  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


487 


Ob  October  4, 1883,  near  Shoal  Lake,  west,  I  chanced  to  call  at  the 
borne  of  Mr.  iVlcMillan,  a  farmer.  There  was  a  flock  of  six  full-grown 
tame  Canadian  Geese  feeding  about  the  door.  Mrs.  McMillan  informed 
me  that  in  the  spring  they  foand  the  old  goose  nesting  in  the  slough 
near  by.  The  bird  was  shot,  and  her  seven  eggs  brought  into  the 
house  and  laid  by  the  stove  during  the  daytime,  and  at  night  they 
were  wrapped  in  flannel  and  put  away.  At  length  they  began  to  hatch. 
The  good  wife  assisted  six  of  the  goslings  into  the  world,  but,  fearing 
she  had  done  wrong,  allowed  No.  7  to  work  his  own  passage.  The  six 
lived  and  throve,  while  No.  7  died.  (In  the  spring  of  18S4  she  stilfhad* 
the  brood  of  swan-like  birds;  they  were  living  in  the  barnyard  in  a 
state  of  perfect  domestication.)  The  fact  that  these  eggs  must  have 
been  chilled  nightly,  and  in  the  daytime  exposed  to  a  dry,  unnatural 
beat,  shows  the  wonderful  vitality  possessed  by  wild  eggs. 

.A.uother  farmer,  living  near  Carberry,  added  some  geese  to  his  barn- 
yard in  the  same  way,  but,  I  believe,  they  did  not  breed  in  confine- 
ment. 

49a.  Branta  canadensis  hutchinsli.    HutchinB's  Goose. 

In  September  a  very  small  young  bird,  taken  on  Red  River  by  Robert 
Kennicott  (Baird).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common  in  spring  and  fall 
only;  have  not  been  able  to  discover  that  it  breeds  near  here  (Nash). 

50.  Branta  berniola.    Braut. 

Migrant;  observed  only  during  the  migration  along  the  boundary 
(Cones).  Winnipeg:  Transient  visitor  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley: 
Transient  visitor;  I  have  taken  it  at  Shoal  Lake  (Hunter).  Carberry : 
Observed  as  a  migrant ;  not  common;  no  specimen  taken  (Thompson). 

51.  Olor  oolumbianuB.    Whiatling  Swan. 

Occasional  about  the  large  lakes ;  not  demonstrated  to  breed.  Win- 
nipeg: Transient  visitor ;  rare  (Hind).  Oak  Point,  1884 :  Arrived  May 
4  (Small).  Always  seen  in  flocks  high  up  (Macoun).  Portage  la  Prai- 
rie :  In  the  autumn  of  1886  saw  one  that  had  been  shot  on  Lake  Man- 
itoba, and  in  previous  years  have  seen  this  or  the  next  species  there 
myself  (Nash). 

Some  yeara  ago,  when  I  built  Cumberland  House,  the  Indians  killed  those  birds 
(swans)  in  such  numbers  that  the  down  and  quills  might  have  been  procured  in  con- 
siderable quantities  at  a  trifling  expense.    (Hearue,  1769-1772.) 

52.  Olor  buooinator.    Trumpeter  Swan. 

Rare  migrant;  observed  on  a  few  occasions  in  Dakota  late  in  Sep- 
tember and  in  the  first  half  of  October  during  the  migration;  said  to 
breed  in  Minnesota  (Coues).  Wiunipeg:  Transient  visitor;  rare  (Hine). 
Swamp  Island,  1886,  first  seen,  eight,  on  May  1;  bulk  arrived  May  0; 
last  seen  May  10;  tolerably  common  this  year  (Plunkett).    Portage  la 


488 


THE    BIRDS    OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


Prairie :  Occasionally  seen  in  spring  and  autumn,  I  am  informed,  but 
as  I  nevei  actually  identified  the  bird  myself  I  am  not  positive  about 
it  (Nash). 

53.  BotauruB  lentlginosus.    American  Bittern. 

Common  summer  resident  in  all  extensive  marshes;  apparently  rather 
common  on  Mouse  River,  at  the  boundary,  in  September  (Coues).  Duf- 
ferin :  Arrives  between  April  25  and  30  (Dawson).  Morris :  Often  seen 
A|)ril  29,  1887  (Christy).  Winnepeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant 
(Hine).  A  specimen  in  Smithsonian  Institution,  from  Nelson  river  (Blak- 
iston).  Ossowa:  Breeds  (Wagner).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  May  lo 
(Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  summer  resident;  first  seen  May 
17,  1884;  May  22,  1885;  April  19,  1886;  last  seen  October  16,  1881 
(Nash).  Abundant  in  all  marshes  throughout  the  country;  shot  June 
11, 1881  (Macoun).  South  slope  of  Biding  Mountain,  on  Little  Saskat- 
chewan, August  28,  1858;  in  the  marshes,  herons,  cranes,  and  bitterns 
were  distributed  in  groups  (Hind).  Carberry :  Common ;  southern  slope 
of  Biding  Mountain,  abundant;  Portage  la  Prairie ;  Sewell;  FortEllice; 
Bat  Portage,  1886  (Thompson).  Shell  river  1885,  first  seen,  one  on 
May  4,  afterwards  seen  every  day ;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds 
here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  residcMt;  breeds ;  arrives 
May  21  (Guernsey).    Severn  House  (Murray). 

On  May  23,  1884,  at  Sewell  Plain,  heard  a  bittern  pumping  in  the 
slough  after  dark ;  the  sound  has  been  very  aptly  likened  to  the  syllables 
"  pump-oga;"  the  first  two  notes  are  like  the  stroke  of  a  pump,  the  ^ast 
is  exactly  like  the  swish  and  gurgle  of  water  in  a  deep  pipe.  This  sound 
is  not  at  all  ventriloquial,  as  is  that  of  the  European  Bittern  according 
to  many  accounts,  and  I  had  no  difficulty  in  following  and  flushing  the 
bird,  but  it  was  too  dark  to  shoot,  as  I  could  only  see  the  dim  form 
against  the  sky  when  it  rose  after  flying,  apparently  50  yards,  and  pres- 
ently he  was  heard  again  worlsing  his  pump  in  the  distance. 

On  June  2,  on  the  south  slope  of  the  Biding  Mauntain,  I  was  led  to  a 
bittern,  after  sundown,  by  its  pumping;  I  watched  it  catching  insects 
until  dark,  and  then  shot  it,  and  found  in  its  stomach  a  most  miscella- 
neous collection  of  insects,  etc.  Same  day,  near  the  Fingerboard,  I 
traced  a  bittern  by  his  note  in  theevening,  and  shot  him;  i  adult;  stom 
ach  contained  crawfish,  insects,  a  garter-snake,  a  mouse,  and  a  meno- 
branchus. 

June  3,  at  Bapid  City  Trail,  south  slope  of  Biding  Mountain.  The 
bittern  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  the  large  birds  that  are  to  be  found 
in  this  region.  Its  long  brown  form  on  Bagging  wing,  with  beak  pointed 
one  way  and  legs  another,  is  to  be  seen  flying  over  nearly  every  exten 
sive  slough  of  this  region.  Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  his  flight,  he  may 
be  seen  to  dangle  his  legs,  "reverse  action"  his  wings,  and  drop  into 
the  marsh.  There,  for  a  moment,  he  stands,  not  deigning  to  notice  the 
blackbirds  that  are  trying  to  terrify  him  into  a  retreat,  his  long  neck 


VOL.  sill,  "1 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


489 


straight  up  at  full  length.  Theu,  having  satisfied  himself  that  all  is 
right,  he  touches  a  hidden  spring,  and  instantly  the  preposterous  neck 
is  tucked  away  somewhere  in  a  surprising  way,  and  so  effectually  that 
the  head  looksas  though  stuck  on  the  shoulders  without  any  intervening 
structure  at  all. 

In  taking  its  prey  the  bird  either  waits  until  the  rash  victim  comes 
within  reach  of  its  spear-like  bill  or  goes  stalking  about  after  it  among 
the  rushes.  Its  food  is  of  such  a  varied  character  that  one  only  has  to 
collect  the  stomachs  of  about  a  score  of  bitterns  to  have  un  extensive 
natural  history  museum.  The  specimen  taken  yesterday  contained,  as 
already  stated,  a  garter  snake,  a  mouse,  an  amblystoma  or  water  liz- 
ard, sundry  crawfish,  and  an  innumerable  company  of  various  insects; 
and  to  this  list  may  safely  be  added  every  kind  of  small  animalism 
that  may  be  secured  about  the  marshy  home  of  ihe  bird.  Misled  by 
sundry  printed  statements,  I  once  cooked  an  individual  of  this  species, 
but  will  not  be  so  misled  any  more.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  it  tasted 
of  all  the  creatures  it  feeds  on. 

I  have  somewhere  read  that  this  bird  is  strictly  diurnal.  This  I  have 
long  doubted.  Indeed,  I  begin  to  doubt  that  any  bird  is  strictly  any- 
thing. When  we  find  a  hawk  gorging  itself  with  choke  cherries,  a  night- 
owl  hunting  by  sunlight,  and  sandpipers  that  never  pipe  or  go  near 
sand,  one  is  prepared  to  give  up,  on  behalf  of  the  birds,  all  rules  of  life 
and  conduct,  and  expect  the  strictly  "diurnal"  bittern  to  be  up  and 
stirring  during  the  hours  of  darkness  and  gloom,  as,  indeed,  the  fore- 
going notes  lead  me  to  suspect  he  does. 

Contrary  to  tba  usually  expressed  opinion,  this  bird  is  strictly  diurnal  in  its  hab- 
its; quitting  its  resting  places  in  the  reedy  bogs  early  in  the  morning,  feeding  out 
along  the  margins  of  ponds,  streams,  etc.,  during  the  day,  and  returning  to  its  close 
cover  at  night.  When  alarmed,  the  bittern,  instead  of  rising,  frequently  erects  its 
head  and  neck  and  depresses  its  tail  between  its  legs,  until  the  whole  body  is  almost 
vertical,  and  so  stands  perfectly  still  until  the  danger  is  past ;  when  in  this  position 
it  so  closely  resembles  a  dead  branch  that  it  requires  a  practiced  eye  to  detect  it. 
Bitterns  are  most  frequently  heard  to  boom  or  pump  in  the  spring,  but  I  have  also 
heard  them  all  through  the  summer ;  the  latest  date  being  in  August.    (Nash.) 

54.  BotauruB  ezilis.    Least  Bittern. 

Accidental  visitant.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident:  only  one  speci- 
men in  10  years  in  Manitoba  (Hine). 


55.  Ardea  herodias.    Great  Blue  Heron. 

Uncommon  summerresident,  of  erratic  distribution;  common  summer 
resident  in  all  Red  River  Valley ;  not  noted  by  me  anywhere  in  the 
Assiuiboine  region ;  observed  during  our  passage  down  the  Red  River 
to  Pembina  (Coues).  Pennawa  River,  September,  1887  (Hind).  Win- 
nipeg: Summerresident;  tolerably  rare  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley: 
Summer  resident;  common  at  Shoal  Lake,  township  16,  range  3,  east 


490 


THfc:    BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


(Huuter).  Portage  la  Prairie :  1884;  rare;  summer  resident  (NasL). 
8oiith  slope  of  KidiDg  Mountain,  on  Little  Saskatchewan  Biver:  In  the 
marshes  herons,  cranes,  and  bitterns  were  disturbed  in  groups  (Hind). 
Occasionally  seen,  but  not  very  common;  shot  on  Swan  River,  April  28, 
1881;  not  observed  breeding  (Macoun).  Breeding  in  numbers  on  Bid- 
ing Mountain  (Green).  Qu'Appelle:  Tolerably  common;  summer  resi- 
dent; breeds;  arrives  May  0  (Guernsey). 

Mj  Biimmer  of  1880  was  speut  iu  the  Northwest  Territory  of  the  Dominion.  The  20th 
of  July  last  found  me  in  the  Duck  or  Riding  Mount&in,  at  the  headwaters  of  Bird's  Tail 
Creek,  about  51°  north,  and  on  the  one  hundred  and  first  meridian.  These  moun- 
tains are  covered  with  a  dense  forest  of  tall  poplars  and  birch  and  thick  undorbrusb 
of  hazel  and  raspberry,  making  it  impossible  to  get  through  without  cutting  a  trail  iu 
advance.  This  20th  of  July  was  a  very  hot  day.  We  had  started  at  C  a.m.  with  a 
train  of  thirteen  heavily  loaded  carls,  and  by  11  a.m.  had  made  about  3  miles,  when 
a  very  peculiar  noise  saluted  our  ears.  Knowing  this  fbrust  to  bo  full  of  bears,  we  at 
once  came  to  the  conclusion  that  we  were  in  the  vicinity  of  a  family  (sisters,  cousins, 
and  aunts)  of  those  affectionate  creatures.  The  train  was  ordered  to  halt  white 
the  chief  of  the  party  and  myself  went  forward  to  prospect.  As  we  advanced  the 
noise  grew  louder  and  louder,  till  we  called  a  council  of  two  to  decide  what  had  bet- 
ter be  done — face  the  enemy  or  draw  on  our  reserves  and  advance  in  full  force. 
While  deliberating,  the  chief  happened  to  cast  his  eyes  heavenwards  and  the  mystery 
was  explained.  We  had  struck  a  heronry ;  hundreds  of  these  birds  were  passing  to 
and  fro ;  and  on  going  forward  a  hundred  yards  or  so  we  found  the  tops  of  the  pop- 
lars covered  with  their  nests,  the  young  birds,  full  grown  but  not  able  to  fly,  perched 
on  ihe  highest  branches  of  the  trees.  Here  in  the  heart  of  a  dense  forest,  probably 
never  trodden  by  man  before,  were  thousands  of  nests  of  our  common  Blue  Heron 
{Ardea  herodiaa  Linn.)  We  cut  down  several  trees  and  captured  the  young,  which 
were  cooked  and  eaten  by  some  of  our  men  with  relish,  probably  because  it  was  the 
iirst  fresh  food  for  three  months.  The  nests  were  made  of  the  small  dead  branches 
of  the  poplar  and  were  placed  as  near  the  tops  of  the  trees  as  possible.  I  kept  two 
of  the  young  birds  alive  for  a  few  days,  when,  becoming  able  to  fly,  they  took  their 
depii^'ture. 

These  mountains  are  full  of  small  ponds  and  bottomleb-:  marshes,  which  swarm 
with  lizards  and  small  fish,  on  which  the  herons  feed,  and  ol  _-^.  ttingtoan  open  space 
near  the  herony  we  could  see  the  old  birds  coming  and  going  in  every  direction. 
Those  coming  home  were  stuffed  to  the  bill  with  food  for  their  young,  making  them 
present  a  very  ungainly  figure,  as  they  lazily  flopped  their  way  towards  the  woods. 
On  pushing  our  way  through  this  mountain  forest,  we  discovered  three  good-sized 
lakes,  about  one-half  mile  wide,  and  from  1  to  2  miles  in  It^ngth  each.  We  tried 
them  for  fish,  but  only  caught  a  few  common  chub. 


56.  Ardea  virescens.    Green  Heron. 

Bather  common  iu  the  Assiniboine,  near  the  mouth  of  Shell  Biver, 
September  25, 1881.  This  was  certainly  a  heron,  and  was  certainly  not 
the  Night  Heron,  as  it  was  much  smaller;  it  had  no  plumes,  and  was 
green  on  the  wing  shoulders;  there  were  at  least  a  dozen  of  them;  they 
were  in  the  trees  along  the  river,  not  far  from  Mr.  Henry  Denmark's 
house  (Macoun).  Taken  them  at  Shoal  Lake,  near  Winnipeg,  and  am 
told  that  they  breed  iu  the  sloughs  around  Turtle  Mountains;  they  are 
rare  compared  with  the  number  of  Blu^  Herons  (B.  H.  Hunter). 


vol..  xill.T 
18IH).    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


491 


lis;  tbey  are 


57.    Nycticoraz  nyctiooraz  neevius.    Black-crowned  Night  Heron. 

A  somewhat  common  summer  rei^ident  in  Red  Kiver  Valley;  one 
individual  seen  during  our  passage  down  Red  River  to  Pembina  (Coues). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident,  tolerably  common,  especially  about  Rea- 
bitru  Marsb  in  August  and  September  (Hine).  In  great  numbers'  at 
Sboal  Lake,  nesting  among  the  reeds  (D.  Gunn).  Red  River  Valley: 
Summer  resident;  common  (Hunter).  I  have  seen  several  specimens 
that  were  taken  near  the  southeast  end  of  Lake  Manitoba;  have  never 
seen  any  on  the  Big  Plain  (Thompson).  Shell  River:  1835,  first  seen, 
one,  on  May  16;  a  transient  visitant;  not  breeding  here  (Oalcutt).  I 
never  met  with  it  in  six  years  of  observing  near  the  Red  and  Assini- 
boiue  Rivers  (Nash). 

I  may  here  observe  that  great  numbers  of  Night  Herons  breed  here.  They  fix  their 
nests  to  the  leeds  8  ur  D  inches  above  the  water  and  deposit  in  each  4  or  5  roundish 
blue  eggs.  I  think  this  is  the  only  place  in  Rupert's  Laud  where  this  species  is  found. 
AVe  gave  them  tiie  "go-by"  last  summer.  The  Indians  call  them  Kitchd  geskman,  t. 
€.,  big  kingfisher.     ( D.  Gunn. ) 

58.    OruB  americaua.    Whooping  Crane.    Flying  Sheep. 

Tolerably  common  migrant  and  rare  summer  resident ;  frequent  in 
Mouse  River  country  in  August,  September,  and  October  (Uoues). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Oak  Point: 
1884,  arrived  May  1,  1885 ;  first  seen,  three,  on  April  15 ;  next  seen  on 
April  17 ;  iscommon  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Rare  summer  resident  near 
Westbourne,  arriving  in  April;  seen  all  summer  (Nash).  Carberry  : 
In  migrations  only ;  rare ;  have  seen  specimens  from  Shoal  Lake,  where 
it  is  said  to  breed  (Thompson).  Breeding  in  the  marshes  between 
Moose  Mountain  and  the  Pipestone  (Macoun).  Shell  River:  1885, 
first  seen,  two,  on  April  30 ;  next  seen,  a  pair,  on  May  3 ;  a  transient 
visitant,  pai^sing  north  and  not  breeding  (Calcutt).  White  Sand  River 
(Christy).  Qu'Appelle:  Transient,  passing  over;  April  28  to  May  1 
(Guernsey). 

On  April  19,  1882,  saw  two  Whooping  Cranes ;  the  residents  call 
them  "  Flying  Sheep."  They  flew  at  a  great  height  and  were  loudly 
croaking. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  common  in  the  Qu'Appelle  Valley  and  in  the  Touchwood  H^ll 
range.  It  is  a  dangerous  antagonist  when  wounded,  striking  with  unerring  aim  and 
great  force  with  its  powerful  I  ill.  When  the  bird  is  wounded,  the  best  way  to  avoid 
its  attacks  is  to  present  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  as  it  approaches;  it  will  fix  its  bill 
in  the  barrel,  and  may  then  be  destroyed  without  danger.  Instances  have  been 
known  of  this  bird  driving  its  bill  deep  into  the  bowels  of  a  hunter  when  not  suc- 
cessful in  warding  off  its  blow.     (Hine.) 

59.  GruB  mexicana.    Sandliill  Crane. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident ;  common  along  the  boundary 
after  leaving  Pembina;  breeding  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resi- 
dent; tolerably  common  (Hine).    Dufferin  :  Arrives  between  April  25 


492 


THE   BIRDS    OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


autl  30  (Dawson).  Swamp  Islaud:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  June  10; 
rare  and  does  not  breed  here;  in  fall,  last  seen  September  7 ;  1886, 
first  seen,  two,  on  May  I ;  bulk  arrived  May  3  (Plunkefct).  Norway 
House  (Bell,  1880).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  April  19,  1885;  first 
seen,  two,  on  April  15;  next  seen  on  April  16;  is  common  and  breeds 
here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Tolerably  common  summer  resident; 
breeds  near  here ;  arrives  in  Ai)ril ;  first  seen  in  1884,  April  21  (Nash). 
(Jarberry:  Common;  in  migration,  a  few  breed;  calso  at  Fingerboard, 
Shoal  Lake,  west,  and  Kussell  (Thompson).  Assiniboine,  near  the 
White  Sand,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Shell,  1881;  also,  saw  young  ones 
near  Moose  Mountain,  June,  1880  (Macoun).  Two  Rivers:  1885,  firsr 
seen,  two,  on  April  16 ;  next  seen,  one,  on  April  19 ;  became  common 
April  23 ;  is  pretty  common  here  and  breeds  (Criddle).  Dalton  :  1880, 
first  seen,  one,  on  April  12 ;  next  seen  on  April  13,  when  it  became 
common  (Youmans).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  t ".to,  on  April  19; 
seen  every  day  afterwards ;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here 
(Calcutt).  White  Sand  River  in  May  (Christy).  Qn'Appelle:  Tran- 
sient; passing  over,  April  28  to  May  1  (Guernsey).  Trout  Lake  Station 
(Murray). 

The  first  intimation  that  we  usually  have  of  the  advent  of  the  crane 
is  the  loud  trun)peting  or  croaking  that  seems  to  shake  the  air  for  miles. 
But  soon  we  begin  to  seethe  birds  themselves,  usually  in  pairs,  even  at 
this  eiirly  season.  Their  food  now  is  chiefiy  rosepips,  and  as  they  stalk 
over  the  bare  plains  gathering  this  manna  of  the  feathered  race,  ample 
oi)portuuity  is  offered  for  observation.  At  first  one  sees  little  to  note 
beyond  their  excessive  wariness,  but  as  the  warmer  weather  quickens 
their  feeling,  these  majestic  stalkers,  these  stately  trumpeters,  may 
often  bo  seen  so  far  forgetting  their  dignity  as  to  wheel  about  and  dance, 
flapping  their  wings  av\  shouting  as  they  "  honor  their  partners,"  and 
in  various  ways  contrive  to  exhibit  an  extraordinary  combination  o( 
awkwardness  and  agility.  This  dance  is  no  doubt  one  of  the  courting 
maneuvers,  for  I  have  observed  it  only  during  the  pairing  season. 

It  has  been  asked  if  these  cranes  breed  in  communities.  To  this  I 
reply,  I  never  saw  anything  to  lead  me  to  such  a  conclusion ;  all  cases 
of  their  nesting  that  have  come  under  my  notice  were  those  of  isolated 
pairs. 

The  localities  they  select  are  generally  damp  meadows,  not  necessarily 
near  the  sand  bills,  the  chiefiy  desired  surroundings  being  rank  grass 
wherein  to  forage,  and  scrubby  or  undulating  land  for  cover. 

When  Hrst  they  enter  the  wide  world  the  two  or  three  young  ones 
are  provided  with  a  (!oat  of  red<lish  yellow  down  and  an  apparently 
Hnpertluous  length  of  limb.  I  perceive  by  reference  to  authorities,  that 
the  cranes  are  "  pnecoces,"  which  being  interpreted  meaneth  "they  are 
cl(»thed  and  can  run  ntid  feed  theujselves  as  soon  as  hatched."  Not 
having  seen  the  young  cranes  at  tliis  interesting  period,  I  can  not  gain 
«ay  the  above  statement;  but  know  that  a  young  cue  taken  at  the  end 


vol..  XI 
1890. 


"•] 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUkSEUM. 


493 


Oil  June  10 ; 


Hion ;  aU  uases 
086  of  isolateil 


of  June,  and  evidently  2  or  3  weeks  old,  made  such  a  poor  attempt  at 
walking  tUat  he  reflected  but  little  credit  on  the  noble  order  of  prtecoces 
to  which  his  family  belongs.  And  yet  I  must  admit  that  when  I  first 
came  on  him  he  ran  with  very  fair  speed,  and  as  his  parents  contrived 
to  monopolize  my  attention  for  a  time  he  escaped  into  the  scrub,  but 
later  on  was  found  squatting  as  still  as  death.  He  looked  then  decep- 
tively like  a  red  rabbit  or  a  small  fox.  On  being  touched  he  sprang  up 
uttering  a  gentle  "  peeping"  which  contrasted  strangely  with  the  strong 
iroaks  of  his  parents.  He  ran  for  a  few  yards  with  the  grace  and  ce- 
lerity of  a  Cochin  fowl,  but  soon  weakened  and  was  obliged  to  sit  on 
his  hoels. 

I  took  him  home  and  found  that  he  spent  fully  half  his  time  in  this 
elegant  position,  and  that,  moreover,  although  he  ate  well  and  seemed 
in  good  health,  he  was  scarcely  able  to  stand  erect  excepting  in  the  heat 
of  the  day,  and  when  he  attempted  to  rise  he  was  almost  sure  to 
(all  once  or  twice  through  his  neck  getting  entangled  with  his  shanks 
in  a  most  unprrecocial  manner ;  nevertheless,  he  grew  and  fledged  and 
became  quite  tame.  Th^^n  came  two  other  pets  to  share  the  building 
wherein  he  had  so  long  dwelt  alone ;  they  were  a  Peregrine  Falcon  and 
a  Swaiuson's  Buzzard.  For  a  time  all  went  well ;  the  crane  seemed  to 
liave  strength  enough  and  beak  enough  to  take  care  of  himself.  Then 
I  found  out  that  he  would  even  share  the  Falcon's  food,  sol  offered  him 
a  sparrow;  he  seized  it  savagely  and,  uttering  a  peculiar  harsh  note, 
pinned  it  to  the  ground  with  his  bayonet  like  bill,  then  stabbed  it  again 
and  again,  and  at  last,  having  reduced  it  to  a  shapeless  mass,  he  swal- 
lowed it.  So  that,  although  I  have  found  only  berries,  grain,  grass, 
and  insects  in  the  gizzards  of  old  ones  so  far,  I  think  it  is  likely  that 
they  will  also  eat  frogs,  mice,  or  small  birds. 

How  it  came  about  I  never  could  tell,  but  one  morning  after  a  storm 
1  found  the  peregrine  sitting  on  the  dead  body  of  the  crane;  I  did  not 
at  once  remove  it,  and  when  I  came  again  the  two  bandits  had  nearly 
I  eaten  my  gentle  pet. 

Several  of  the  neighbors  also  have  tried  to  rear  young  cranes  and 

I  almost  always  with  success  and  satisfaction,  for,  although  it  is  difficult 

to  keep  them  over  winter,  they  become  so  tame  and  are  so  interesting 

I  (luring  their  stay  that  their  owners  feel  amply  rewarded  for  what  little 

trouble  they  have  taken  with  them.    As  a  game  bird  1  am  inclined  to 

place  the  present  species  first  on  the  Manitoban  list,  as  the  Whi'o  Crane 

and  the  swans  are  too  rare  for  insertion  on  a  list  of  species  that  the 

sportsman  may  pursue  with  regularity  and  success.    An*  average  speci- 

mien  weighs  about  0<^  or  lU  ))ounds,  and  the  quality  of  the  flesh  is  un- 

lisurpHssed  by  that  of  any  of  our  ordinary  birds  unless  it  be  the  par- 

Itridge.    I  should  strongly  advocate  the  protection  of  this  bird  by  the 

Igarae  law  were  it  not  that  it  is  so  thoroughly  well  able  to  take  care  of 

|itsolf  that  legislation  in  its  favor  seems  altogether  unnecessary. 

The  young  cranes  are  apparently  strong  oo  the  wing  in  August,  for 


494 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


ii 


at  this  time  small  bauds  of  the  species  may  be  seen  sailing  high  over 
the  prairie,  apparently  strengthening  their  wings  before  they  aife  com- 
pelled to  journex  southward  for  the  season.  As  September  draws  nigh 
their  numbers  are  increased,  and  the  long  array  of  the  grand  birds  pre- 
sent a  most  imposing  spectacle  as  in  serpentine  lines  they  float  away 

after  the  sun. 

« 

60.  Rallus  elegans.    King  Rail. 

Mr.  Hine  claims  to  have  seen  this  near  Winnipeg.  At  Carberry  I 
once  got  a  flying  glimpse  of  what  I  took  for  this  bird,  but  it  was  30 
yards  away,  and  I  failed  to  get  either  a  seconl  glimpse  or  a  shot  at 
it  (Thompson). 

61.  Rallus  vijiniauuB.    Virginia  Rail. 

Winnipeg :  Common  summer  resident  (Hine).  ?  Nest  found  at  Oar- 
berry  (Thompson). 

The  fine  specimen  of  this  bird  in  Manitoba  Museum,  taken  at  Rea- 
burn,  where,  Mr.  Hine  says,  it  is  plentiful.  It  is,  no  doubt,  more  com- 
mon in  this  country  than  is  generally  supposed }  for,  as  Dr.  Coues 
remarks,  '<  their  habit  of  skulking  and  hiding  in  the  most  inaccessible 
places  they  frequent,  renders  them  difficult  of  observation,  and  they 
are  usually  considered  rarer  than  they  really  are."  The  call  of  this 
species  is  rendered  " crik-cukrik-kkkJ'^  It  is  said  to  be  partially 
nocturnal. 

A  nest  was  brought  to  me  from  a  slough  near  Carberry,  July  30, 1884. 
It  was  found  in  a  tussock  of  coarse  grass,  and  was  built  of  dry  stems 
of  the  same ;  the  eggs,  eight  in  number,  were  quite  fresh,  and  differed 
from  those  of  the  Carolina  Bail  only  in  be'ii;;^  of  a  lighter  color,  and 
with  reddish  instead  of  umber  spots,  and  chiefly  about  fie  large  end ; 
one  was  IJ  by  |^,  the  others  similar.  The  nest  was  of  rv,  '-es  and  built 
precisely  like  that  or  the  Carolina  bird,  but  it  was  situated  rather  in  a 
damp  meadow  than  in  a  marsh.  I  did  not  see  the  bird,  but  have  little 
doubt  that  it  was  the  present  species. 

Mr.  Nash  sends  the  following  note :  *<  It  haunts  low  ground  like  the 
rest  of  the  orde.',  but,  so  far  as  I  have  seen,  they  never  go  into  deep- 
water  marshes;  in  fact,  they  keep  where  there  are  bushes  and  low 
trees—alders,  willows,  and  the  like ;  and,  when  flushed,  instead  of 
taking  to  the  rushes,  they  invariably  fly  in  amongst  the  bushes." 

62,  Porzana  Carolina,    Horn.    Common  Rail. 

Common  summer  resident  of  all  marshes.  In  September  along  Mouse 
River,  at  the  boundary,  appeared  to  bo  rather  c^nmon  (Coues).  Win- 
nipeg: Summer  reHide:it;  abundant  (Iline).  Red  River  (Brewer).  York 
Factory  (Bell).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Very  abundant  summer  resident; 
arrives  about  the  middle  of  May  ;  leaves  about  the  end  of  September 
(Nash).    Carberry :  Abundant  summe/'  resident;  breeding;  and  in  the 


vol..  XIII, 1 
J890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


495 


country  from  Fingerboard  to  Birtle,  nesting ;  very  abundant ;  breeding 
iu  Duck  Mountain,  June,  1884  (Thompson).    Shell  River:  1885,  first 
seen,  two,  on  May  12;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Cal 
cutt).    Severn  House  (Murray;. 

June  28, 1882,at  Rapid  City  Trail  near  Fingerboard,  found  the  nest  of  a 
Sora.  It  contained  fourteen  eggs,  which  we^e^within  a  few  days  of 
being  hatched.  The  nest  was  placed  in  a  bed  of  rushes,  about  10  feet 
from  the  water,  and  was  built  of  dry  stalks  of  reeds,  etc.  The  eggs 
were  placed  in  two  tiers,  one  on  the  other,  as  the  nest  was  but  4  inches 
across.  The  question  naturally  suggests  itself,  however,  how  does  this 
indefatigable  little  ovipositor  contrive  to  warm  the  whole  of  this  large 
clutch  under  her  own  little  bosom  and  wings  ? 

Late  in  tLe  autumn,  just  before  migrating,  this  bird  devf  lops  startling  powers  of 
lligbt,  though  I  am  inclined  to  believe  it  does  not  rely  entirely  on  its  wings  in  its 
travels  to  and  from  its  winter  quarters,  for  just  about  the  time  of  departure  it  may 
lie  found  in  most  unlikely  places;  and  it  is  just  possible  that  when  so  found  it  may 
have  been  traveling  southwards  on  foot.     (Nash,  in  MS8.) 

63.  Porzaua  noveboracensis.    Yellow  Rail.    Watei  Sparrow.  ' 

Summer  resident.  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident ;  tolerably  common 
(Hine).  Fort  George  (Bell).  Hudson's  Bay  (Hutchins).  In  a  marsh 
near  Fort  Pelly  I  saw  a  few  that  I  took  to  be  this  species ;  they  would 
rty  and  drop  in  the  sedge;  did  not  collect  any  (Macoun).  At  Carberry 
there  is  a  small  rail  that  is  very  common,  but  whether  this  or  P.jamai- 
censia  I  can  not  be  sure  (Thompson)* 

On  April  29, 1882,  in  the  evening,  while  walking  iu  the  moonlight, 
by  the  slough,  with  W.  Brodie,  we  heard  a  peculiar  "  tap-tap-tap"-ing 
that  seemed  to  come  from  something  in  the  near  sedge.  When  we 
described  the  sound  afterwards,  at  the  h^use,  old  residents  said  it  must 
have  been  a  Stake-driver. 

(Since  writing  the  above  I  have  become  quite  familiar  with  the  Stake- 
driver,  or  bittern,  and  know  now  that  the  tapping  was  certainly  not 
produced  by  it.  This  peculiar  sound  is  a  characteristic  one  of  Maui- 
toban  marshes,  and,  unless  it  is  the  sound  ascribed  by  Hutchins  to  the 
Yellow  Rail,  and  described  as  resembling  the  striking  of  a  flint  and 
steel,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  account  for  it.) 

On  Augusts,  1883,  a  specimen  of  a  little  dark  rail  was  brought  to  me. 
1  put  it,  along  with  two  young  Killdcer  Plovers,  into  a  pen,  wherein 
was  already  a  Brahma  hen  with  a  large  brood  of  young  prairie  chickens. 
As  soon  as  the  hen  descried  the  strangers  she  made  a  dash  and  cruelly 
ill  treated  one  of  the  gentle  killdoers  before  I  could  interfere;  then  she 
mw  the  rail  gliding  through  the  K^ass  and  ran  towards  it  with  murder 
in  her  eye  and  flght  in  every  feather.  But  the  rail  ran  to  meet  her. 
Both  flew  up  together— the  diminutive  rail  and  the  vast  Brahma  hen. 
The  rail  rose  high  enough  to  give  the  hen  one  peck  on  the  bead  with 
his  beak,  and  immediately  u  change  took  place.    The  hen  straightened 


496 


THE   BIRDS    OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


her  feathers,  became  a  "i)eace-at-any-i)rice"  partisan,  and  never  after 
took  the  slightest  notice  of  the  tiny  Porzana.  It  finally  escaped  through 
a  hole  less  than  an  inch  across.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  hold  it  in 
the  hand,  so  great  was  its  power  of  forcing  its  body  through  the  smallest 
opening. 

This  rail  I  took  for  Porzana  jamaicensis,  but  had  delayed  making  a 
careful  diagnosis  to  a  more  convenient  season,  which  never  came,  for 
the  bird  disappeared  on  the  first  night  of  its  captivity  ;  so  that  I  do  not 
consider  the  identification  at  all  safe.  It  may  have  been  P.  novebora- 
censis.  One  is  as  likely  as  the  other,  and  I  believe  both  will  yet  be 
found  in  the  province.  Certain  it  is  that  a  little  rail,  other  than  the 
Carolina,  is  often  Hushed  in  the  rushes,  and  flies  with  its  legs  dangling; 
never,  however,  for  any  great  distance ;  generally,  it  merely  dashes 
out  of  the  sedge  at  on'  place  and  along  a  few  yards  to  drop  into  an- 
other. Its  diminutive  e  ar  '  aquatic  habits  have,  in  some  localities, 
procured  for  it  the  nam     )f  Water  Sparrow. 

64.  Fulica  americana.    Aiuericau  Coot. 

Common  summer  resident ;  extremely  abundant  along  the  line  from 
Pembina  to  the  Rockies ;  breeding  (Cones).  Dufterin :  Arrived  between 
April  25  and  30  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  abundant 
(Hine).  Oak  Point :  Arrived  May  9  (Small).  Lake  Manitoba  (Brewer). 
Portage  la  Prairie:  Very  abundant  summer  resident,  arriving  in  "Vlay, 
departing  early  in  October ;  first  seen  in  1884,  May  G  (Nash).  Carberry : 
Summer  resident;  not  common  ;  plain  south  of  Souris  River ;  Minnt- 
dosa,  common;  Portage  la  Prairie,  abundant  in  fall  (Thompson). 
Abundant  on  all  pools  of  fresh  water  in  the  ])rairie  region,  with  grebes; 
not  common  in  the  forest  region  (Macoun).  Daltou  :  1889,  first  seen, 
eight,  on  April  18;  next  seen  on  April  21,  which  was  also  last  seen; 
common,  but  not  breeding  (Youmans).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  a 
pair,  on  May  12;  afterwards  seen  every  day  all  summer;  is  common; 
it  breeds  here;  nest  found  with  thirteen  eggs  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle; 
Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrived  May  (>  (Guernsey). 

On  June  25, 1884,  in  a  pond  10  miles  west  of  Minnedosa,  I  saw  four 
coots  engaged  in  a  curious  set-to.  They  might  have  been  fighting,  or 
merely  playing.  They  were  close  together,  and  all  were  splashing  the 
water  about,  fiapping  their  wings  and  bobbing  up  and  down;  they  faced 
eacli  other,  but  never  seemed  to  strike  each  other,  so  far  as  I  could  see. 
I  have  several  times  seen  this  performance  in  the  spring  time. 

Tlio  luiKnitioii  of  ill))  coot  in  very  8in;;iiliir:  Into  in  the  niitninn  1  liuvo  hcoii  thoHc 
l)lnl»  in  (•onntl«>88  nuniluMH  in  tlm  niarNlioH  at  t'>o  noutli  «n<l  of  Ltiico  Miinitolxi;  for  u 
few  (liiyM  provioiiN  to  their  goiiiK  tlicy  kvi^yt  up  »  cfUHeltJf^H  cJiuttor  and  row,  appa- 
rently (li8cn»Hiujj  llio  propriety  of  leaving.  On  my  Roing  out  some  morning  after  tliin 
has  gone  on,  not  a  8iii){l«'  solitary  coot  in  to  ho  seen,  except  perhaps  a  woundou  onf 
that  can  not  tly  ;  they  are  unlike  other  hirds,  only  migrating  at  uight.  I  have  never 
seeu  a  ilook  of  them  in  the  daytime.    These  marshes  of  Lake  Manitoba  appear  quite 


VOL. 

1890 


xni,~l 
BO.    J 


HoHtary  aftei 
(R.  H.  Hunt/ 
Arrives  eai 
entirely,  oft< 
(iit^appeared 
ing  season  i 
skulking  an 
young  have 
their  habits 
hundred  togi 
swimming  a 
this  time  the 
and  around i 
retire  into  tl 
at  times  in  d 
leave  the  mc 


Irregula 
pears  in  f 
autumn  vi 
sloughs  nt 
and  Septe 


Summei 
to  the  Ro( 
observed 
mon  OD  tl 
peg  (Hine 
15, 1882  (' 
1880  (Mac 

.lune  15, 
rope  swimna 
around,  and 


A  west 
along  the 
south  wes 
Ottawa  i 
Hunter), 
is  doubtfi 
throngho 
July  25, 
the  alkal 
Pr 


VOL.  XIII, T 

1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


497 


never  after 
)ed  througli 
;o  hold  it  in 
the  smallest 

d  making  a 
er  came,  for 
lat  I  do  not 
P.  novebora- 
will  yet  be 
er  than  the 
s  dangling; 
rely  dashe-s 
rop  into  an- 
le  localities, 


le  line  from 
red  between 
t ;  abundant 
ba  (Brewer), 
ing  in  'Vlay, 
Garberry : 
rer;  Minne- 
[Thompson), 
ivith  grebes; 
9,  iirst  seen, 
[)  last  seen ; 
first  seen,  a 
is  common ; 
Qu'Appelle; 

J I  saw  four 
fighting,  or 
plashing  the 
I ;  they  faced 
1 1  could  see. 
me. 


Nolitary  after  these  birds  arc  gone,  although  there  are  thousands  of  other  birds  there. 
(R.  H.  Hunter  in  MSS.) 

Arrives  early  in  spring,  as  soon  as  the  ice  goes  out,  and  remains  until  it  freezes  up 
entirely,  often  staying  about  open  holes  in  the  ice  uutil  the  last  drop  of  water  has 
<iiiiappeared  from  sight.  On  its  Iirst  arrival  in  the  spring  and  throughout  the  breed- 
ing season  its  habits  much  resemble  those  of  the  true  rails,  and  it  is  continually 
slcnlking  and  hiding  among  the  rank  vegetation  in  which  it  resides ;  but  after  the 
young  have  acquired  strength  and  confidence  i.i  themselves  a  change  takes  place  in 
their  habits.  They  now  gather  into  large  Hocks  (several  times  I  have  seen  over  a 
hundred  together)  and  betake  themselves  to  the  open  water,  where  they  may  be  seen 
swimming  and  diving,  like  a  lot  of  blue-bills  or  red-heads,  rather  than  rails;  at 
this  time  they  will,  if  approached,  rise  high  in  the  air  and  make  long  flights  over 
and  around  the  marsh  they  inhabit ;  this  they  will  do  all  day  long,  but  at  dark  they 
retire  into  the  high  rushes  to  roost.  AH  the  other  birds  of  this  family  I  have  found 
at  times  in  dry  grassy  meadows  or  amongst  low  scrub,  but  the  coot  never  seems  to 
leave  the  more  watery  parts  of  the  marsh.    (Nash  in  MSS.) 

65.  Phalaropus  lobatus.    Northern  Phalarope. 

Irregular  migrant.  Winnipeg:  Transient  visitor;  not  common;  ap- 
pears in  spring  and  fall  about  Reabnrn  marshes  (Hine).  Common 
autumn  visitor  to  Portage  la  Prairie,  and  very  abundant  at  the  prairie 
sloughs  nbcir  Winnepeg,  where  I  saw  immense  flocks  of  them  io  August 
and  September,  1886  (Nash). 

66.  PhalaropuB  ttioolor.    Wilson's  Phalarope. 

Summer  resident;  breeds  throughout  the  country  from  Red  River 
to  the  Rockies  along  the  line ;  in  suitable  places  common,  though  never 
observed  in  large  numbers  at  anyone  place  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Com- 
mon on  the  prairieo  in  spring;  breeding  at  Seaborn  and  Lake  Winni- 
peg (Hine).  Eighteen  miles  south  of  Brandon,  a  pair  observed  June 
15, 1882  (Wood).  Breeding  around  ponds  at  Moose  Mountain,  July  24, 
1880  (Macoun).    "  P.  lobatus  Ord,"  Severn  House  (Murray). 

.Inne  15,  1887,  18  miles  south  of  Brandon,  saw  n  splendid  pair  of  (Wilson's)  Phala- 
rope swimming  on  a  poul  only  a  few  yards  away ;  one  of  them  kept  rising  and  flying 
around,  and  I  cauld  distinguish  the  beautiful  red  and  black  neck  quite  plainly.  ( Wood). 

67.  Reourvlroatra  amerioana.    American  Avocet. 

A  western  bird,  very  rare  in  Manitoba.  Winnipeg:  Rare;  straggler 
along  the  Red  River  (Hine).  Have  killed  the  bird  along  the  Souris, 
southwest  of  Plum  Creek;  in  the  museum  of  the  Geological  Survey  at 
Ottawa  is  a  specimen  of  the  Avocet,  marked  from  Manitoba  (R.  H. 
Hunter).  (Professor  Macoun  tells  me  thn '  the  locality  of  this  s|)ecimen 
is  doubtful.— E.  E.  T.)  Very  abundant  uiound  saline  ponds  and  lakes 
throughout  the  Northwest;  shot  at  the  base  of  the  Coteaudu  Missouri, 
July  25, 1880  (Maooun).  Qu'Appelle:  Occasionally  here;  plentiful  on 
the  alkali  ponds  west  (Guernsey). 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 32 


.H 


n^ 


■  1 


498 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


68   Fhilohela  minor.    American  Woodcock. 

Very  rare  suraiu  ^r  resident.  Winnipeg :  rare;  only  two  pairs  killed, 
and  under  a  dozet.  birds  seen  altogether  in  4  years  (Hine).  I  saw  one 
specimen  of  the  woodcock  at  York  Factory,  in  the  end  of  August  last. 
This  bird  is  not  uucominoa  in  Manitoba,  although  the  fact  is  not  guu- 
erally  known  (Bell,  1880).  Oak  Point:  1885,  first  seen  May  13;  rare; 
one  was  shot  (S  nail).  Hare  summer  resident ;  I  shot  ten  birds  in  5 
years  near  Portage  la  Prairie ;  in  1886  I  found  a  pair  breeding  near 
Winnipeg ;  arrive  about  the  end  of  April,  depart  in  September  (Nash). 


69.  Oallinago  delicata.    Wilson's  Snipe.  Common  Snipe. 

Abundant  summer  resident  of  sloughs  and  swamps ;  abundant  at 
Mouse  liiver,  on  the  boundary,  in  September  (Cones).  Dufi'erin: 
Arrived  between  April  15  and  20  (Dawson).  Winnipeg :  Summer  resi- 
dent; abundant  (Hine).  Red  River  Settlements,  April  29  (Blakiston). 
Snipe  fuunti  above  Split  Lake,  and  in  many  places  along  Nelson  River ; 
common  in  Manitoba  (Bell).  Ossowa:  Common;  breeding;  1885,  first 
seen,  three,  on  May  5 ;  n*  xt  seen  May  8,  when  it  became  common 
(Wagner).  Oak  Point:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  April  26;  next  seen, 
April  26;  is  common  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  sum- 
mer resident;  abundant  in  spring  and  autumn  migrations;  I  have,  in 
August,  frequently  seen  wisos  containing  from  twenty  to  thirty  birds ; 
arrives  in  April;  departs  in  October  (Nash).  Common  all  along  the 
route  of  1881 ;  specimens  shot  at  Swan  Lake,  Bed  Deer  Lake,  and  Fort 
Pelly  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Abundant;  sunjmer  resident;  breeding; 
Soggy  Creek  and  various  parts  of  the  Big  Plain;  Bat  Portage 
(Thompson).  Two  Rivers :  1883,  first  seen,  April  6 ;  somewhat  ran* . 
I  believe  it  breeds  here  (Criddle).  Dalton  :  1889,  first  seen,  one,  on 
April  8;  next  seen,  on  April  12,  when  it  became  common ;  breeds  here 
( Youmans).  Shell  Biver :  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  4 ;  next  seen, 
three,  on  May  8;  a  transient  visitor,  passing  north  ;  not  remaining  to 
breed  (C^lcutt).  Qu'Appe'ile:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds; 
arrives  April  20  (Guernsey). 

Snipe  are  now  (Hilay  5,  1882)  quite  numerous;  they  frequent  the 
damp  rather  than  wet  places.  Their  principal  amusement  on  cloudy 
dfvys  seems  to  be  dashing  across  the  sky  at  a  height  of  200  or  300 
fe-'^t  and  uttering  a  loud  vibratory  note,  which  is  repented,  with  lessen- 
ing intervals,  a  dozen  or  more  times ;  during  the  production  of  the 
sound  the  bird's  wings  seem  to  be  rigidly  set,  but  the  tips  appear  to 
vibrate,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  course  is  obliquely  downwards.  As 
boon  as  the  serenade  is  over  the  snipe  wheels  about,  regains  his  eleva- 
tion, and  repeats  the  performance  indefinitely.  Having  vented  the 
feelings  which  prompted  these  actions,  he  descends  to  a  much  lower 
level  by  one  or  two  long  slanting  gyrations,  and  then  regains  the  earth 
by  half  closing  his  wings  and  dropping  downwards  into  the  grass. 


vol.  xm,  1 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


499 


imon  sum- 


5,  and  Fort 


The  performance  usually  takes  place  in  dull  weather  or  in  twilight. 
After  it  is  over,  I  have  often  induced  him  to  repeat  it  by  marking  him 
down  and  (hen  springing  him;  he  generally  rises,  uttering  a  sort  of 
"screep,"  zigzags  for  a  few  yards,  circles  round  the  horizon  in  one 
or  two  sweeping  gyrations,  and  either  pitches  down  again  to  the 
grass  or  continues  t.»  ascend,  and  then  repeats  his  song. 

The  next  day  one  of  the  snipe's  notes  seems  not  unlike  the  "  tow,  tow, 
totc,''^  of  a  stray  turkey,  but  in  a  higher  kty. 

About  a  week  after  arriving  in  its  former  haunts  this  well-known 
species  begins  to  manifest  its  presence  by  uttering  the  remarkable  pair- 
ing serenade  for  which  several  of  the  scolopacine  birds  are  noted. 
When  i)iomptedto  this  peculiar  performance  the  snipe — the  male  only, 
1  supi-cse — rises  suddenly  from  the  bog  where  he  has  been  feeding,  and 
where  bis  usual  note  is  a  "  squeak!  squeak!"  and  now,  just  after  rising 
on  his  long,  swift  wings,  this  "  squeak  "  is  generally  repeated  a  num- 
ber of  times.  Immediately  after  taking  wing  he  circles  all  around  the 
i!iarsh,then  rises,  silently,  higher  and  higher,  still  circling,  until,  having 
reached  an  elevation  of  several  hundred  feet,  he  gathers  his  strength 
and  goes  whizzing  across  the  sky,  his  tail  spread  to  its  utmost  extent 
and  wings  vibrating  with  great  rapidity,  while  a  loud,  sharp  boom, 
repeated  quickly  twenty  or  thirty  times,  is  heard  as  long  as  this  career 
is  continued.  While  thus  engaged  the  course  of  the  bird  has  been 
straight  and  slightly  downward,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  ended  he  re- 
mounts and  dashes  across  again  with  the  same  resounding  accompani- 
nieut.  This  he  will  keep  up  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time.  Thus  having 
expended  his  exuberant  energy,  he  wheels  lower  and  drops  into  the 
slough  to  receive  the  congratulations  of  the  only  spectator  whose  atten- 
tion was  specially  courted. 

This  booming  or  whirring  may  be  a  product  of  the  voice,  or  it  may  be 
caused  by  the  wings,  which  appear  to  vibrate  simultaneously  with  the 
production  of  the  sounds,  the  quality  of  which  is  very  nearly  the  same 
us  that  of  the  boom  of  the  night  hawk. 

The  favorite  haunts  of  this  bird  are  the  open  grassy  sloughs  or  bogs 
which  intersect  the  c^'intry.  Here  it  finds  in  abundance  the  smaller 
insects  which  constitute  its  food,  and  here  it  makes  its  nest  and  rears  its 
young.  The  position  of  the  only  nest  of  this  species  that  I  found  was 
in  a  slightly-elevated  tussock  or  sod  m  the  middle  of  a  wide  muskeg. 
The  nest  consisted  of  a  slight  hollow,  with  a  few  straws  for  lining,  and 
was  raised  only  about  3  inches  above  the  water.  This  was  in  the 
third  week  of  July,  and  by  the  27th  of  the  month  the  four  young  ones 
were  batched  and  immediately  left  tlid  nest,  to  lead  a  roving  life  with 
their  mother  among  the  grassy  bottoms  and  the  muskegs,  rich  with  an 
influitude  of  insect  life. 


I 


600 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


70.  Maororhamphus  scolopaceus.   Long-billed  Dowitoher,  or  Red-breasted  Snipe. 

• 

GommoD,  chiefly  as  a  migrant  in  the  western  part  of  th  j  province  ; 
Mouse  Biver,  at  the  boundary,  possibly  breeding ;  extremely  numerous 
in  September  (Goues).  Bed  Biver  Valley :  SuD)mer  resident;  common 
west  of  Brandon;  I  have  shot  eighty  in  four  discbarges  of  a  gun;  are 
never  seen  in  eastern  Manitoba  (Hunter).  Winnipeg:  Very  rare;  se- 
cured three  or  four  near  Reaburn ;  observed  only  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember (Hiue).  Very  abundant  at  Swan  Lake  House  and  Bed  Deer 
Lake,  July  and  August,  1881  (Macoun). 

71.  Micropalama  himantopua    Stilt  Sandpiper. 

One  specimen  procured  on  the  plain  north  of  Qu'Appelle  September 
16. 1880  (Macoun).  (This  is  just  west  of  the  province.)  Have  seen  it  in 
August  and  September  on  the  Asii>iniboiue,  near  Portage  la  Prairie, 
singly  or  in  pairs ;  rare  (Nash). 

72.  Tringa  oanutus.    Knot.    Robin  Snipe. 

Migrant.  Winnipeg :  Tolerably  common  in  the  migrations  (Hine).  I 
have  never  seen  the  Knot  along  Bed  Biver,  but  have  seen  large  flocks 
of  the  species  west  of  Brandon  (B.  H.  Hunter). 

73.  Tringa  maculata.    Pectoral  Sandpiper. 

Migrant,  chiefly  in  fall;  common  in  fall  migration  along  line  at  Turtle 
Mountain  (Goues).  Winnipeg:  Bare;  migrant  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prai- 
rie: Gommou  in  the  autumn,  frequenting  the  grassy  marshes  (Nash). 
Abundant  along  the  route  of  1881,  also  on  the  Great  Plains  and  North- 
west (Macoun).    Moosejaw  (west  of  Manitoba),  July  7  (Miller  Ghristy). 

74.  Tringa  Aisoioollis.    Wliite-ruinped  Sandpiper. 

Migrant ;  not  common.  Portage  la  Prairie :  Have  occasionally  taken 
it  in  autumn  and  more  rarely  in  spring  (Nash).  Shoal  Lake  (south 
slope  of  Biding  Mountain)  and  on  Duck  Mountain,  June,  1884  (Thomp- 
son). 

June  4, 1884,  near  Shoal  Lake,  saw  a  large  flock,  fifty  or  sixty;  of 
Wbite-rnmped  Sandpipi  rs  as  they  flew  along  the  shores  of  a  little  pond ; 
they  performed  so  exactly  the  same  evolutions  in  close  column  that  the 
whole  flock  was  entirely  dark  and  silvery,  according  as  they  turned 
their  backs  cr  their  breasts  to  me.  Five  specimens  collected,  two  f 
and  three  ?  ;  all  showed  sexual  organs  enlarged  ;  p'  1  ver>'  fat ;  all  had 
stomachs  filled  with  aquatic  insects ;  one  had  a  ver ,  largo  larva. 

75.  Tringa  bairdii.    Baird'a  Sandpiper. 

Fall  migrant ;  not  very  common ;  in  fall  migration  one  of  the  most 
abundant  sandpipers;  along  Mouse  Biver  and  westward  along  the 
line  of  the  Bockies  (Goues).    Have  seen  it  in  the  autumn,  near  Portage 


VOL.  XIII,  T 
1890.  J 


PBOCEEDINGS  OP  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


501 


la  Prairie  (Nasb).  Saw  a  namber  on  a  salt  marsh  on  lied  Deer  River, 
Jaly23, 18S1  (Macoun).  Oarberry,  An^nst  21,1884:  Now  commou 
about  the  lakes  in  company  with  the  two  Yellow-legs,  but  not  in 
flocks  (Thompson). 

76.  Tringa  minutilla.    Least  Sandpiper. 

Somewhat  common  as  a  migrant;  may  breed.  Turtle  Mountain, 
Jdly  30 :  Should  not  be  surprised  if  it  bred  in  the  vicinity  (Coues). 
Winnipeg:  Tolerably  common  summer  migrant  (Hine).  Shoal  Lake, 
May  15, 16, 17,  1887  (Christy).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Very  abundant, 
appearing  in  large  flocks  on  the  sand  Itars  in  the  Assiniboine  River 
and  about  the  prairie  sloughs  in  August  (Nash).  Shot  on  Red  Deer 
River,  July  23, 1880  (Macoun.) 

77.  Tringa  alpina  pacifica.    Red-backed  Sandpiper.    Blackheart. 

Migrant.  Winnipeg:  Transient  visitor;  tolerably*  common  along 
the  river  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie  :  Tolerably  common  during  the 
fall  migrations  (Nash).    Severn  House  (Murray). 

78.  Breunetes  pusillus.  Seniipalmated  Sandpiper. 

A  migrant  along  Red  River,  Mouse  River,  and  along  the  boundary 
at  various  points  during  August  (Coues).  Tolerably  common  along 
Red  River  in  the  migration,  frequenting  the  wet  prairies  near  Winnipeg 
(Hine).  Portage  la  Piairie:  Abundant  in  Assiniboine  in  the  autumn; 
appearing  early  in  August  (Nash).  Shot  on  the  Red  Deer  River  July 
23, 1881  (Macoun). 

79.  Calidris  arenaria.    Sanderling. 

Migrant;  numerous  about  Lake  Winnipeg,  June  (Eennioott). 
olict  Ave  out  of  a  flock  at  Oak  Lake,  a  prairie  slough,  a  few  miles  north 
of  Portage  la  Prairie,  August  1,  1884  (Nash).  Auundaut  on  the  west 
shore  of  Lake  Manitoba,  June  12, 1881  (Macoun). 

80.  Limosa  fedoa.    Marbled  Godwit. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident.  Pembina,  June  30,  1873,  nest-* 
iug  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident,  tolerably  common  (Hine). 
Red  River  Valley :  Summer  I'esident;  commou  in  Western  Mani- 
toba (Hunter).  Plum  Creek :  Breeding,  1882,  June  20  (Wood).  Plains 
near  Long  River  and  South  of  Souris,  May ;  tolerably  common  (Thomp- 
son). Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  lesideit;  breeds ;  arrives  May 
10  (Guernsey).    Hudson's  Bay  (Murray). 

May  18,  1882,  at  Long  River,  north-east  slope  of  Turtle  Mountain, 
C.  T.  shot  a  fine  $  Marbled  Godwit  from  the  wagon;  feet,  black;  giz- 
zard filled  with  shells  and  insects.    They  are  somewhat  common  on 


^m 


^im 


IM:; 


'i'M 


14 


i 


502 


THE    BIRDS   OP   MANITOUA — THOMPSON. 


these  wide,  wet  plains,  but  all  those  noted  have  been  solitary  individ- 
uals. Their  large  size,  reddish  color,  and  long  straight  bills  distin- 
guish them  at  a  greiit  distance. 


81.  Limosa  haemastica.    Hndsouian  Godwit. 


Bare  migrant. 
House  (Murray). 


Winnipeg:  Transient  visitor;  rare  (Hine).    Severn 


82.  Totanus  melanoleucus.    Greater  Yellow-legs. 

Abundant;  migrant  spring,  late  summer,  and  fall;  very  abundant  in 
August  and  September  at  the  boundary  along  Mouse  river  (Cones). 
Duflferin:  Arrived  between  April  15  and  20  (Dawson).  Winnipeg: 
Abundant  in  summer  migration  (Hine).  Norway  House  (Bell).  Port- 
age la  Prairie :  Abundant  in  spring,  arriving  in  April,  usually  in  pairs; 
about  the  first  of  August  they  reappear  in  small  flocks  about  the  rivers 
and  open  prairie  sloughs,  where  they  feed  on  small  frogs ;  depart  late  in 
October ;  the  \a!>'-  flock  I  saw  in  1884  were  flying  south  in  a  snow  storm 
on  21st  of  October  (Nash).  Very  abundant  at  Red  Deer  river  and  on 
the  Assiniboine;  about  all  ponds  in  the  fall  of  1881  (Macoun).  Gar- 
berry  :  Abundant;  migrant  in  spring  and  in  late  summer  (Thompson). 
Shell  Biver:  1885,  Qrstseen,seven,on  April  24,  transient  visitor;  passing 
north,  and  not  remaining  any  time  or  breeding  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle : 
Common  migrant.  May  5  (Guernsey).  Severn  House  (Murray).  Very 
common  from  the  sea  to  Lake  Winnipeg  at  the  season  (Blakiston). 

August  21, 1884:  Greater  Yellow  legs  are  still  very  common  about 
the  weedy  lakes.  They  come  down  from  the  north  about  the  Ist  of 
August,  and  are  to  bo  seen  usually  on  the  points  of  land  that  run  out 
into  the  ponds;  as  they  stand  motionless  on  the  promontories  they 
look  twice  as  large  as  they  really  are.  They  are  more  shy  and  less 
active  than  their  minor  brethren,  for  they  usually  stand  in  a  dignified 
way  until  fired  at  or  forced  to  fly,  seldom  running  in  the  sprightly  fash- 
ion of  the  Lesser  Yellow-leg.  They  differ  also  in  their  food,  for  I  have 
found  the  larger  species  with  numerous  small  fish  in  their  gullets,  which 
is  unusual  for  a  Tattler.  The  members  of  this  species  raise  their  voice 
in  a  great  outcry  each  time  a  gun  is  fired. 

83.  Totanus  flavipes.    Yellow-lega. 

Common  migrant  all  over;  abundant  throughout  the  Winnepegosis 
region ;  Nelson  Biver ;  chiefly  noted  in  Assiniboine  Valley  about 
August  15;  common;  spring,  late  summer,  and  autumn  migrant;  very 
abundant  in  August  and  September;  along  the  boundary  at  Turtle 
Mountain  and  Mouse  Biver  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Abundant  (Hine). 
Portage  la  Prairie :  This  species  arrives  later  than  the  last  (Greater 
Yellow  legs),  not  usually  appearing  before  the  12th  of  May ;  they  return 
about  the  first  of  August  in  flocks,  and  depart  at  the  end  of  September, 
my  latest  record  being  October  1st,  1886,  a  single  bird,  near  the  Bed  Biver 


vol..  XIII.T 
18UU.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


503 


r;  passing 


(Nash).  Carberry:  Common  migrant  in  August  (Thompson);  abun- 
(laut  about  all  pools  in  the  fall,  along  the  route  of  1881  (Macoun).  Shell 
river:  1885,  first  seen,  three,  on  April  24;  transient  visitor,  only  pass- 
ing north,  and  not  remaining  any  time  or  breeding  (Calcutt).  Qu'Ap- 
pelle:  Common  migrant;  May  5  (Guernsey).    Severn  House  (Murray). 

84.  Totanus  solitarius.    Solitary  Sandpiper. 

Chiefly  in  migrations;  nrobably  breeding;  in  abundance  in  aatumn 
migration,  Turtle  Mountain,  and  Mouse  River  at  the  boundary  (Coues). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Tolerably  common, and  I  think  that  some  breed,  though  I  have  not  found 
tlienest;  arrives  about  May  15;  reappeais  about  1st  August;  departs 
in  September  (Nash).  Frequent  throughout  the  Winnepegosis  region 
along  the  route  of  1881 ;  breeding,  for  young  were  observed  July  20, 
feathered,  but  with  some  down  yet  (Macoun).  Carberry  and  Portage 
la  Prairie;  in  lates.<mmer  migration  (Thompson). 

September  16, 1884,  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  shot  a  solitary  sandpiper. 

On  July  10,  18^4,  I  shot  a  specitnea  of  the  aolitary  sandpiper  {RhyacopMlus  sol- 
itarius) at  Maple  Creek,  597  miles  west  of  Winnipeg ;  it  was  doubtless  breeding.  In 
the  dry  bed  of  the  creek  I  also  caught  a  nestling  bird,  which  was  probably  of  this 

species.    (Christy.) 

85.  Symphemia  semipalmata.    Willet. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident  in  the  south  and  west,  at  various 
points  along  the  line  from  Bed  Biver  to  the  Rockies  (Coues).  Souris 
Plain,  near  Turtle  Mountain :  Nesting,  near  Shoal  Lake  in  June  (Thomp- 
son). Common  around  saline  ponds  on  the  western  plain  and  on  the 
east  side  of  Moose  Mountain,  July  29, 1880  (Macoun). 

On  May  23, 1883,  on  the  Alkali  Plain,  north  of  Turtle  Mountain 
land  office,  started  a  willet  from  her  nest,  which  was  placed  in  a  slight 
hollow,  shaded  on  one  side  by  the  skull  of  a  buffalo  and  on  the  other 
by  a  tuft  of  grass.  It  contained  four  eggs,  each  of  which  measured 
2^  by  li  inches,  ground  color,  dark  olive  brown,  with  heavy,  round 
dark  spots  of  brown  and  purple,  evenly  distributed,  without  any 
approach  to  a  rind  about  the  large  end. 

86.  Bartramia  longioauda.    Bartramian  Sandpiper.   Prairie  Plover.  Quaily. 

Abundant  summer  resident  on  the  dry  prairies ;  erdremely  abundant 
over  the  Red  River  prairies,  along  the  boundary,  Turtle  Mountain, 
Mouse  River;  breeding  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  com- 
mon (Hine).  Breeding  nt  Selkirk  Settlement  (D.  Gunn).  Portage  la 
Prairie :  Abundant  summer  resident  from  early  i?'  May  to  about  August 
10  (Nash).  Abundant  in  the  prairies  from  Grand  Valley  and  westward ; 
not  seen  in  the  forest  region  (Macoun).  Carberry :  Abundant  summer 
residen!;;  breeding ;  in  all  the  prairie  regions  to  Brandon,  and  south  to 
Turtle  Moantain,  also  from  Carberry  northwestward  to  Fort  Ellice 


'   m 


i.  'ii 


lit' 


504 


THE    BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


(Thompson).  Two  Rivers:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  3 ;  next  seen, 
several,  on  May  4 ;  became  common  May  6 ;  breeds  here  (Criddle). 
Shell  Kiver:  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  May  4;  afterwards  seen  every 
day ;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle : 
Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  May  12  (Guernsey). 

May  6,  1882 :  For  some  days  back  I  have  heard  a  loud  rattling  whis- 
tle th  t  seems  to  come  from  the  skies,  and  sometimes  I  have  seen  the 
bird  that  produces  it  sailing  at  a  great  height.  Occasionally  I  have 
observed  it  sail  downwards  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees  and  settle  on  the 
fence  or  on  the  prairie.  To-day  at  noon  I  shot  one  of  the&e  birds  as  it 
was  perched  on  a  lience  stake.  It  first  alighted  on  the  barn,  where  C. 
T.  fired  at  ic,  but  it  Hew  off  and  alighted  on  the  fence  where  I  winged 
it.  It  did  not  attempt  to  escape,  but  lay  on  its  back  with  its  legs  drawn 
up.  I  found  it  to  be  the  upland  plover,  or  quaily,  as  the  residents 
call  it.  It  was  a  male,  length  11^,  extension  20^ ;  stomach  contained 
insects  and  two  rose-pip  stones. 

May  11 :  Single  quailies  very  numerous  now ;  they  seem  to  sail  down- 
ward out  of  the  very  sky,  uttering  their  mournful  whistle,  like  "rrrrrr- 
phee-pheeoooo !^  as  they  sail  down  on  the  prairie,  where  they  stand 
for  a  few  seconds,  like  the  statue  of  an  angel,  with  their  wings  raised 
aloft,  doubtless  to  show  the  beautifully  barred  under  side,  then  delib- 
erately folding  them  they  nod  and  step  forward  and  nod  again  at  each 
step,  and  pick  up  the  unfortunate  early  flies,  and  stop  occasionally  to 
reiterate  the  mournful  whistle  and  thereby  conjure  out  of  the  very 
clouds  some  comrade  who  also  sweeps  downward,  whistles,  alights, 
strikes  the  vainglorious  attitude,  then  joins  in  the  varied  pursuits  of 
love,  music,  and  beetles. 

May  4,  1883 :  Quailies  noted.  A.  S.  T.  May  11,  quailies  very  numer- 
ous now. 

On  June  6, 1883,  while  crossing  the  prairie  near  the  house,  I  flushed 
a  Quaily  from  her  nest  almost  under  my  feet ;  she  fluttered  a  few  yards 
forward  and  then  lay  flat  on  the  prairie,  beating  her  wings  on  the 
ground  and  uttering  such  heartbroken  cries  that  I  could  not  but  leave 
her  in  peace.    The  nest  contained  three  eggs. 

June  15.  I  saw  a  curious  sight  on  some  newly  broken  prairie.  A 
Quaily  had  sprung  from  her  nest  just  under  the  feet  of  the  plough- 
horses  :  the  man  had  stopped  them,  removed  the  four  eggs  the  nest 
contained,  ploughed  on,  and  then,  after  replacing  the  square  foot  of 
sod  the  bird  had  nested  in,  restored  the  eggs  to  their  place  and  left 
them.  Very  soon  the  mother  bird  found  courage  to  return  and  resume 
her  duties,  and  when  I  saw  her,  she  was  sitting  contentedly  on  her 
eggs  in  this  tiny  green  patch  surrounded  by  acres  of  level  black  earth. 

June  4, 1884.  In  this  day's  drive  saw  no  pairs  of  Quailies,  but  ob- 
served seven  solitary  birds.  During  the  last  week  of  May  the  species 
was  always  seen  in  pairs,  and  it  was  this  that  led  me  to  count.  The 
change  noted  to- day  is,  no  doubt,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  honey-moon 


IS  over  ai 


1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


505 


^ry  uumer- 


is  over  and  the  laying  season  commenced.  The  egg  of  this  species  is 
actually  larger  than  that  of  a  prairie  chicken,  although  the  quaily 
weighs  but  4  ounces,  and  the  chicken  nearly  ten  times  as  much. 

During  the  Bunimer  no  bird  ia  uioro  familiar  on  tbe  Manitoban  prairies  than  the 
Upland  Plover  or  Bartraiu's  Sandpiper  (Bartramia  longicaitda),  comiuouly  there 
known  as  the  'Quaily,"  from  its  note.  Surely  no  bird  ever  ditfered  more  completely 
from  the  generality  of  its  relatives  than  thiu  !  It  iaa  Sandpiper  which  does  not  ap- 
pear to  frequent  marHhes,  which  breeds  habitually  on  the  dry  open  prairies,  and  which 
is  frequently  to  be  seen  perched  among  the  branches  of  trees.  Its  tameness  is  ex- 
cessive. Oftuu  when  driving  over  the  prairie  I  have  seen  it  remain  within  3  yards 
uf  the  passing  vehicle  without  the  slightest  concern.  When  on  the  wing,  it  offers  a 
Hhot  so  temptingly  easy  that  few  can  resist.  Its  note  is  a  highly  remarkable  one, 
uot  easily  forgotten  when  once  heard.  Dr.  Coues  well  describes  it  as  a  "  long-drawn, 
sott,  mellow  whistle,  of  a  peculiarly  clear,  resonant  quality."  It  breeds  abundantly 
on  the  open  prairie,  a&d  I  have  several  times  caught  the  young  in  down.  The  ma- 
jority left  Manitoba  towards  the  latter  end  of  August,  but  I  was  several  times  sur- 
prised at  bearing  or  seeing  a  belated  pair  until  quite  late  in  September.    (Christy.) 

This  species  is  an  abundant  summer  resident  on  all  the  dry  prairies  near  Portage  la 
Prairie,  arriving  early  in  May;  at  this  time  they  are  very  tame,  and  may  frequently 
be  seen  perching  on  the  fences,  and  I  once  saw  one  make  a  ludicrous  attempt  to  settle 
himself  on  the  glass  insulator  on  top  of  a  telegraph  pole.  About  the  Ist  of  August 
they  desert  this  prairie  and  betake  themselves  to  the  broken  laud  iu  small  flocks. 
They  are  then  very  wild.  By  the  10th  of  the  month  they  have  all  left ;  though  on 
August  29.  1884,  I  saw  a  single  bird  flying  over.  Not  observed  in  the  vicinity  of 
Winnipeg  (Nash  in  MSS.). 

87.  Tryngites  subruficoUiB.    Buff-breasted  Sandpiper. 

Winnipeg :  Transient  visitor ;  rare ;  in  migration  along  Bed  Biver 
(Hine). 

88.  ActitlB  macularia.    Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Common  summer  resident  along  streams;  throughout  the  region 
from  Pembina  to  Rockies  along  the  boundary  (Cones).  Winnipeg: 
Summer  resident;  abundant;  breeding  (Hine).  Norway  House  (Bell, 
1880).  Shoal  Lake,  May  15, 1887  (Christy).  Oak  Point :  1384,  arrived 
April  22  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Abundant  summer  resident,  ar- 
riving soon  after  May  1 ;  departs  at  the  end  of  September;  the  hist 
seen  by  me  was  on  the  24th  of  that  month  (Nash).  Common ;  breeding 
along  the  route  of  1880  and  1881 ;  always  seen  in  couples  (Macoau). 
Portage  la  Prairie:  July  22, 1884,  saw  young  Peetweets  running  with 
the  old  ones  along  the  banks  of  Owl  Creek  (Thompson). 

89.  Numeniii     '^nglrostris.    Long-billed  Curlew. 

Summer  resident  of  the  wet  prairies ;  breeds  in  moderate  numbers 
about  Pembina  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Bare;  transient;  visitor  (Hine). 
Bare  spring  and  autumn  visitor;  saw  five  on  Bat  Creek,  in  the  West- 
bourne  marsh,  October  8,  1884  (Nash).  Frequent  on  tbe  Souris  plain, 
May,  1882,  frequenting  the  wet  prairie  (Thompson). 


M 


50G 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


90.  CharadriuB  squatarola.    Black-bellied  Plover. 

Spring  migrant.  Winnipeg :  Fairly  plentiful,  frequenting  fields  or 
flying  in  large  compact  flocks  with  other  waders ;  goes  north  to  breed, 
but  is  back  in  numbers  during  the  summer  (Hine).  Carberry :  Spring 
migrant ;  saw  flocks  on  the  fields  May  24, 1884,  and  on  June  3,  on  Rapid 
City  Trail ;  south  slope  of  Biding  Mountain,  saw  three ;  also  a  Oray 
Plover  (Thompson).  Dalton :  18S9,  tirst  seen,  about  a  hundred,  on  May 
27 ;  are  common  for  a  few  days  in  spring  (Youmans).  Severn  House 
(Murray). 

91.  Cbaridrius  dominlouB.    American  Golden  Plover. 

-  Common  spring  and  fall  migrant ;  very  abundant  along  the  Mouse 
River  at  the  boundary,  in  late  September  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Abun- 
dant; transient;  visitant;  arrives  about  the  middle  of  May;  goes  north 
to  breed;  comes  back  in  large  flocks  in  August;  afl«cts  burnt  prairie 
and  ploughed  land  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie  :  Abundant  spring  an«t 
autumn  visitor,  occurring  in  large  flocks ;  they  frequent  the  prairie 
sloughs,  the  broken  land,  and  are  particularly  partial  to  the  burnt 
prairie;  I  have  seen  them  in  vast  numbers  following  the  fires;  they 
will  alight  on  the  ground  burnt  over  a  few  hours  after  the  fire  has 
passed;  arrive  in  May,  reappearing  in  August,  and  departing  in  Oc- 
tober (Nash).  One  flock  seen  at  Fort  Pelly,  September  18, 1881  (Macoun). 
Carberry:  Common  spring  migrant;  Long  River;  plain  south  of  the 
Souris ;  north  side  of  Turtle  Mountain  (Thompson).  Shell  River :  1885, 
fifty  or  more  in  flocks  going  north  on  May  26;  transient;  visitant  only ; 
not  breeding  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle :  Tolerably  common  migrant ;  May 
20  (Guernsey).    Trout  Lake  Station  and  Severn  House  (Murray). 

92.  JBgialltis  vooifera.    Killdeer. 

• 
Common  summer  resident;  abundant  throughout  the  summer  in  all 
suitable  places,  Pembina  to  the  Rockies,  along  the  line  (Coues).  Duf 
ferin:  Arrived  between  15th  and  20th  of  April,  1874  (Dawson).  Win- 
nipeg: Summer  resident;  plentiful ;  breeding  (Hine).  Oak  Point:  1885, 
first  seen,  one,  on  April  17;  next  seen,  one,  on  April  18;  is  common, 
and  breeds  (Sn>all).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant  summer  resident, 
arriving  in  April,  departing  at  end  of  September  (Nash).  Abundant 
everywhere  along  the  route,  on  Western  plains,  and  especially  on  Win- 
nepegosis,  around  the  salt  licks;  shot  at  Manitoba  House,  June  10, 
1881  (Mac<mn).  Carberpy:  Latterly  a  summer  resident,  breedingabont 
ponds,  preferably  with  gravelly  or  sandy  shores ;  near  Brandon  ;  near 
Long  River;  Silver  Creek;  near  Rapid  City  (Thompson).  Dulton: 
1880,  first  seen,  five,  on  April  8;  next  seen  on  April  12,  when  it  became 
common;  breeds  here  (Youmans).  Brandon:  Breeds;  eggs  taken  second 
week  in  July,  1882  (Wood).  Shell  River:  1855,  first  seen,  one,  male, 
on  April  6;  is  a  common  summer  resident,  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt). 


vol..  XUI.T 
1890.  J 


PROCEEDINGS  OP  TwE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


507 


Qu'Appelle :   Common  summer  resident ;    breeds ;  arrives  April  17 
(Guernsey). 

July  7, 1882,  at  Silver  Greek,  saw  a  single  downling  Elldeer  running 
on  the  trail  just  before  the  oxen ;  both  its  parents  were  flying  about, 
uttering  their  loud  laments  and  trying  to  decoy  the  young  one  aside,  but 
could  not  get  it  out  of  the  wagon  rut  into  which  it  had  fallen ;  it  ran  on 
straight,  trying  to  keep  ahead  of  the  oxen,  till  1  caught  it.  It  was  the  most 
fawn  like  thing  I  ever  saw  in  feathers;  its  large  lustrous  eyes  were 
turned  on  me  with  an  expression  of  fearless  innocence  that  was  touch- 
ing, and  when  I  set  the  little  ball  of  down  at  liberty  on  the  prairie  it 
walked  gracefully  away  without  betraying  any  consciousness  of  having 
been  in  the  power  of  its  worst  enemy.  It  was  apparently  newly  hatched, 
but  the  markings  of  its  downy  coat  were  similar  to  those  of  the  adult 
birib,  minus  the  orange. 

93.  .Sgialitis  aeimipalmata.    Semipalmatnd  Plover.    Ring  Plover. 

Rrre  migrant  between  Hudson  Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg  (Murray). 
Winnipeg.  Summer  resident;  rare(Hiue).  Common  at  Lake  Winnipeg 
in  June  (Kinnicott).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Very  abundant  in  August,  fre- 
(]uenting  tbe  sand-bars  on  the  Assiniboine  with  the  Least  Sandpiper 
(Nswh).  Abundant  with  Kildeer,  and  evidently  breeding,  as  I  saw  young 
with  them  at  tlie  salt  springs  on  Red  Deer  River,  July  22,  1881 ;  at  Lake 
Manitoba  (Macoun).  Brandon:  One  seen  April  28,  1882,  another  May 
25  (Wood).  Trout  Lake  Station  and  Severn  House;  plentiful  in  Arctic 
America  (Murray). 

94.  JQgialitis  meloda.    Piping  Plover.    King-neck. 

Migrant;  possibly  breeds  also.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  toler- 
ably common  ((line).  Procured  four  specimens  at  Lake  Winnipeg  (D. 
(tunn).  Portage  la  Prairie  :  Occurs  in  tlie  migrations  with  the  Semi- 
palmated  Plover  (Nash).  Shot  migrating  in  company  with  Sanderlings 
on  the  shores  of  Lake  Manitoba,  June  12,  1881  (Macoun). 

^  9S.  Arenaria  iuterprea.    Turnstone. 

Migrant.  Winnipeg :  Rare,  but  occurs  about  the  prnirie  ponds  here, 
and  on  shore  of  Lake  Winnipeg  in  pairs;  apparently  goes  north  to  tlie 
large  lakes  to  breed  ;  returns  about  the  middle  of  August  (Dine).  Lake 
Winnipeg  (Brewer).   Severn  House  (Murray). 

96.  Dandragapui  oanadeuaia.    Spruce  Partridge. 

Resident  in  tl.vt  spruce  forests  of  the  north  and  east;  common.  Win* 
nipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  in  spruce  woods,  but  so  tame  and 
fearless  that  its  pursuit  van  scarcely  be  called  sport  (Iline).  A  spe(;itnen 
in  Smithsonian  Institution  from  Red  RiverSettlenient(HlakiHton).  Does 
uot  ocoar  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Portage  la  Prairie  or  Winnipeg, 


?! 


at 
if 


n 


k 


508 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


but  I  have  seen  numbers  of  them  brought  in  to  the  game  dealers  from 
the  woods  about  Lake  Winnipeg,  where  it  is  resident  (Nash).  Swampy 
Island  :  1885,  first  seen,  flock  of  ten,  on  March  9 ;  next  seen  March  11 ; 
always  common  and  resident;  very  abundant  October,  November,  and 
April ;  breeils  here  (Pluukett).  Very  numerous  in  the  poplar  woods  to 
the  north  of  F<^rt  Pelly  along  Bed  Deer  Biver,  and  at  the  sources  of 
the  Swan  Biver,  August,  1881  (Macoun).  Bat  Portage:  One  specimen 
taken  by  me  October,  188G ;  I  was  informed  that  it  is  not  uncommon 
here,  though  much  less  plentiful  than  the  Birch  Partridge  or  Bonasa 
(Thompson).  Trout  Lake  (Murray).  In  great  plenty  near  Cumberland 
House  (Hearno,  1771). 

October  16,  1886,  Bat  Portage :  Shot  a  female  Spruce  Partridge  to- 
day; length,  14^;  wing,  7;,  tail,  4|;  crop  and  gizzard  filled  with 
spruce  leaves.  This  is  the  only  specimen  seen  here,  but  at  Port  Arthur, 
October  8, 1  saw  numbers  exposed  for  sale  in  the  shops ;  they  were  said 
to  have  been  shot  in  the  neighborhood. 

97.  Bonasa  umbellus  togata.     Canadian  Ruffed  Grouse.     Birsh  Partridge. 

Tolerably  common  in  the  spruce  woods  of  the  east;  specimens  sent 
to  Mr.  Bidgway  from  the"Norwe8t  Angle"  near  Bat  Portage  have 
by  him  been  pronounced  this  variety;  it  is  fairly  plentiful  there  and 
known  as  the  Birch  Partridge ;  it  is  probable  that  all  of  this  species 
found  within  the  limits  of  the  coniferous  forest  as  indicated  may  be 
referred  to  the  form  of  togata;  therefore  I  assume  that  the  following 
records  belong  here:  <'  Puskee,  Shoulder-knot  Grouse;"  this  bird  is  an 
inhabitant  of  the  southern  parts  of  Hudson^s  Bay ;  feeds  on  birch  buds 
(Hutchins,  MSS.  observations,  Hudson  Bay,  1782).  Swan  Lake  (prob- 
ably) (Macoun). 

Beferriug  to  the  Buffed  Qrouse,  the  Sharptail,  and  the  Wood  or 
Spruce  Partridge,  Hearn  says:  "I  have  seen  them  in  great  ))l<Mity  near 
Cumberland  House;"  and  later,  in  writing  of  the  drumming  of  the  first : 
**  I  have  frequently  heard  them  make  that  noise  near  Cumberland 
House  in  the  month  of  May,  but  it  was  always  before  sunrise  and  a 
little  after  sunset." 

On  October  11,  1886:  At  Bat  Portage  some  Indians  came  to  the  door 
to-day  with  a  lot  of  partridges  to  sell.  These  no  doubt  would  have 
proved  to^a<««,  as  they  must  have  been  taken  in  the  neigh borhord; 
several  among  them  had  red  rutl's,  showing  that  that  variation  is  not 
confined  to  the  subspecies  umbclloides. 

At  Bat  Portage,  January  14,  1887,  I  received  five  partridges  (var. 
togatut),  shot  in  the  woodc  just  west  of  this  |>oint;  four  were  males  and 
measured  17^,  1()|^,  10,  18,^  in  length ;  one  doubtful  was  19<{  long. 

Carberry  specimens  of  umbellun  had  been  referred  to  the  form  «m&0l 
hides  by  Mr.  Bidgway,  and  when  he  further  decided  ray  Bat  Portage 
B|»eoimen8  to  be  togatuSf  there  were  not  lacking  those  who  ridiculed 
the  idea  of  the  two  forms  being  typically  represented  within  200  miles 


VOL.  XIII.T 

1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


509 


of  each  other ;  bat  a  farther  consideration  of  the  physical  featares  of 
the  country  has  show.**  the  reasonableness  of  such  occurrence,  for  the 
togatus  birds  were  taken  within  the  great  coniferous  forest  which  is  its 
assigned  locality,  while  the  umbelloides  exam  pies  were  taken  from 
the  open  aspen  woods  near  the  northeastern  boundary  of  the  dry 
.tfgion  that  is  inhabited  by  the  pale  form  of  umbellua. 

97a  Bonasa  umbellns  umbelloides.    Partridge,  or  Gray  Rnffed  Gronse. 

Common  resident  of  the  poplar  woods  in  the  west  and  south  of  the 
province.  Specimens  sent  from  Carberry  to  Mr.  Bidgway  prove  to 
be  of  the  variety  umbelloidea;  therefore  I  assume  that  all  those  taken  in 
the  open  and  poplar  woods  are  of  this  form. 

Winnipeg:  Permanent  resident;  common  (Hine).  Ossowa:  Resident; 
breeding  (Wagner).  Specimen  from  Red  River  Settlement  in  Smith- 
sonian Institution  (Blakiston).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant^  reisi- 
dent  in  the  woods,  and  frequently  found  in  the  bluffs  on  the  prairie 
it'tbey  are  of  any  extent  (Nash).  Heard  drumming  about  Manitoba 
House,  1881 ;  abundant  in  woods  along  Red  Deer  and  Swan  Rivers, 
188)  ;  Fort  Ellice ;  Touchwood  Hills  and  northern  woods  generally 
(Macoun).  Carberry:  Common,  and  resident  in  all  woods;  noted  at 
south  slope  of  Riding  Mountain,  Fort  Ellice,  west  slope  of  Dock 
]\Iountain,  and  Portage  la  Prairie  (Thompson).  Qu'Appelle:  Gom- 
mon  ;  permanent  resident;  breeds  (Guernsey). 

On  April  4,  1882,  the  snow  was  3  to  4  feet  deep  everywhere.  Went 
to  the  slough  with  W.  Brodie.  We  saw  several  Ruffed  Grouse  and 
we  each  shot  one. 

Bonasa  umbellua  umbelhidea,  male ;  length  17^,  extension  21  inches. 
The  pectinations  or  points  of  its  snowshoe  but  about  half  a  dozen  on 
the  outside  of  each  outer  toe;  the  middle  claw  or  each  foot  rubbed 
down  to  a  mere  stump,  the  others  normal ;  fine,  full,  black  ruff.  The  bill 
presented  au  unusual  feature,  for  when  the  mandibles  were  closed  there 
still  remained  a  wide  opening  right  through  the  beak,  near  the  tip, 
just  behind  the  hook ;  this  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  worn 
away,  as  no  doubt  it  was  in  process  of  collecting  the  browse  on  which 
the  siiecies  feed  throughout  the  winter.  Its  crop  was  filled  with 
various  kinds  of  buds. 

Second  specimen,  female  ;  length  16^,  extension  22.  Snowshoes  or 
pectinations  on  the  feet  perfect ;  ruff  insignificant ;  bill  normal ;  crop 
full  of  broMse. 

April  10,  the  snow  still  deep  in  the  woods,  shot  a  Ruffed  Grouse, 
male ;  length  17,  extension  22.  Tarsi  feathered  to  tho  toes ;  claws 
blunt;  {leotinations  of  toes  perfect;  tail  nil  gray  without  any  brown 
at  all,  as  also  was  the  general  plumage;  ruffs  very  full ;  beak  with  the 
I  same  remarkable  snbterminal  opening  as  that  already  noted  on  April  4. 
I  In  the  spruce  bush  on  December  R,  after  sundown,  as  I  walked 
near  the  camp,  I  noticed  the  marks  in  the  snow  wliere  two  Ruffed 


fp 


Vl\ 


. '.  I 


1.',  I 


510 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


Grouse  had  alighted,  and  then  without  running  more  than  a  few  steps 
had  dived  'nto  the  drift.  As  I  came  nearer  the  birls  sprang  up 
through  the  powdery  snow  a  few  feet  in  advance  of  their  entering 
places  and  I  secured  one  of  them.  It  was  of  the  typical  umbelloides 
form,  with  gray  ^ail  and  plumage;  its  crop  was  filled  with  catkins 
(hazel?),  equisetum  tops,  rosehips,  and  various  kinds  of  browse; 
probably  birch  preponderated. 

It  seems  to  be  the  normal  habit  of  this  bird  to  roost  in  a  snow  drift 
during  the  coldest  weather.  The  wonderful  non-conductivity  of  the 
snow  is  well  known,  but  may  be  forcibly  illustrated  by  the  fact  that 
although  the  thermometer  registers  35°  below  zero,  the  10  inches  of 
snow  which  fell  before  the  severe  frost  came,  has  eflfectually  kept  the 
wet  earth  in  the  woods  from  freezing,  although  the  temperature  has 
been  at  or  below  zero  for  over  a  week.  In  view  of  these  facts  it  is  easy 
to  understand  that  the  grouse  in  the  snow  drift  are  quite  comfortable 
during  the  coldest  nights.  In  general  the  bird  will  be  found  to  run 
about  before  burrowing  into  the  drift;  each  makes  its  own  bed,  usually 
10  or  20  feet  from  its  neighbor ;  they  usually  go^own  a  foot  or  so  and 
along  2  feet;  they  pass  the  whole  night  in  one  bed  if  undisturbed,  as 
the  large  amount  of  dung  left  behind  would  indicate.  They  do  not 
come  out  at  the  ingress,  but  burst  through  the  roof  of  their  cot  at  one 
side ;  they  do  not  usually  go  straight  ahead  and  out,  because  their 
breath  during  the  whole  night  has  been  freezing  into  an  icy  wall  just 
before  their  nostrils. 

On  December  7,  in  the  spruce  bush,  shot  two  Ruffled  Grouse  this  after- 
noon, about  sunset.  They  vere  running  about  on  a  snowdrift, picking 
the  buds  off  the  projecting  twigs  of  a  shrub  that  I  take  to  be  the  dwa.. 
birch.  One  of  them  was  in  splendid  bronze  plumage,  i.  e  ,  with  the 
ruffs  and  tail  baud  of  a  rich  copper  color,  and  the  other  dark  marking, 
glossed  with  the  same.  To-day  the  thermometer  stood  at  20°  below 
zero. 

On  May  24, 1883,  saw  a  partridge  on  his  drum-log  in  the  eastern  woods. 
The  log  looked  as  though  it  had  been  used  for  several  seasons,  aslt  wais 
much  wo"n  and  a  great  quantity  of  dung  was  lying  on  each  side  of  it. 

On  August  21,  while  crossing  a  part  of  the  spruce  bush,  I  heard  the 
warning  chuckle  of  a  partridge  to  her  brood.  1  pressed  quickly  forward 
and  distinctly  saw  her  sitting  on  a  stump,  30  yards  away.  Fresh  meat 
was  desirable,  and  the  young  were  well  grown  ;  so,  hastily  raising  the 
gun,  I  fired,  without  the  slightest  effect  on  the  gray  still  form  on  thf 
stump,  but  at  the  ahot  the  young  ones  rose  with  a  whirr  and  scattered 
to  the  left.  Then  again  I  fired  in  haste  at  the  forui  on  the  stump,  this 
time  with  ball,  and  the  only  effect  was  to  satisfy  myself  that  I  had  been 
blazing  away  at  an  old  knot.  As  I  reloaded  I  walked  towards  this 
deceptive  piece  of  wood,  and  it  continued  as  rigid  as  any  other  stump 
until  I  was  within  15  yards,  when  up  it  sprang  and  Hew  off  in  the  woods 
in  the  opposite  direction. to  that  taken  by  the  flock. 


VOI,    XIII. 


•] 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


511 


October  25:  Birtle.  During  the  last  few  days,  while  traveling  on 
both  banks  of  the  Assiniboine,  I  have  seen  every  sliade  of  brown  and 
gray  partridges  together  in  the  same  regions. 

November  12 :  Ground  covered  with  snow ;  hard  frost ;  in  sp.uce  bush 
with  J.  Duff  on  a  deer  hunt,?  saw  three  partridges  roosting  in  an  open 
poplar,  about  dusk ;  shot  two  of  them.  I  can  not  understand  these  birds 
so  roosting,  for,  in  addition  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  horned 
owls  are  very  numerous  and  very  fond  of  partridge  flesh.  It  is  usual 
for  this  species  to  roost  in  spruce  coverts  or  else  in  a  snow  drift,  hence 
it  may  be  concluded  that  these  two  birds  simply  made  a  mistake  and 
IKiid  dearly  for  it. 

On  May  3, 1884,  in  spruce  bush,  I  collected  three  male  partridges; 
one  of  the  gray  cast  of  plumage,  with  copper  ruff;  one  brown,  and  one 
intermediate.    All  had  their  crops  filled  with  poplar  catkins. 

On  Thursday  evening  of  May  29  I  heard  a  partridge  drurjraing  in  a 
low  thicket  by  the  slough.  I  continued  to  approach  it  by  cautiously 
crawling  while  the  bird  was  drumming  and  lying  still  while  he  refrained. 
When  at  length  I  was  within  20  feet  and  yet  undiscovered,  I  eusconsed 
myself  behind  a  thicket  and  settled  myself  to  watch.  The  drummer 
was  standing  on  the  log  with  his  head  and  crest  eroet,  his  tail  spread 
Imt  tlie  feathers  on  his  body  compressed.  After  looking  about  uncon- 
cernedly for  a  moment,  he  seemed  to  crouch  a  little  to  brace  himself, 
then  the  wings  flashed  with  a  thrump,  followed  by  a  stillness,  and  from 
tlic  appearance  of  the  bird  one  might  think  tiie  performance  ended,  but 
iifter  about  six  seconds  there  is  another  ha/y  flash  of  the  wings,  accom- 
panied again  by  the  thrump;  in  about  two  seconds  it  is  repeated,  and 
again  in  half  a  second,  and  again  and  again,  faster  and  faster,  until  at 
last  the  strokes  I'un  into  each  other  and  roll  away  like  **the  rumbling 
of  distant  thunder."  I  watched  the  performance  a  number  of  times. 
Hetween  each  **  tattoo  "  he  did  not  strut  but  remained  in  the  same  place, 
merely  turning  his  head  about.  Also  satisfied  myself  that  the  wings 
beat  nothing  but  the  air.  I  had  previously  accepted  this  as  the  correct 
theory,  because  whether  it  stand  on  a  sound  or  rotten  log,  a  stump  or  a 
stone,  the  sound  is  always  the  same,  and  therefore  it  could  not  drum  on 
the  perch,  nor  could  it  make  the  sound  by  beating  its  wings  together, 
for  when  a  rooster  or  a  pigeon  strikes  its  wings  together  the  sound  is  a 
Hliarp  crack,  so  that  there  is  no  plausible  explanation  other  than  the 
Olio  above  given. 

On  June  19,  on  the  west  side  of  Duck  Mountain,  in  a  thick  poplar 
woods,  we  came  on  a  partridge  that  evidently  had  a  nest  or  a  brood 
close  at  hand.  She  ran  about  our  feet  with  her  ruffs  and  tail  spread  and 
hor  wings  drooping,  and  whined  in  a  manrtcr  that  showed  the  reason 
of  her  anxiety,  but  we  failed  to  find  the  young  or  eggs. 

While  exploring  in  the  Carberry  spruce  bush,  on  July  3,  with  my 
friend,  Mr.  Miller  Ghristy,  we  passed  a  tree  at  whose  roots  was  a  part- 


^  IN 


512 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


ridge's  nest,  but  would  not  have  discovered  it  had  not  the  mother  pur- 
sued us  some  20  feet  that  she  might  begin  a  vigorous  attack  on  our 
legs,  whereupon  we  turned  and  found  the  nest.  It  was  just  at  tbat 
critical  moment  when  the  young  were  coming  out.  Those  that  were 
hatched,  some  six  or  eight,  hid  so  eflectually  withia  a  space  of  6  leet 
that  no  sign  of  them  could  be  seen  after  the  first  rusb,  and  once  hidden, 
tbey  ceased  their  plaintive  peepiug  and  maintained  a  dead  silence. 
Meanwhile  the  mother  was  sorely  distressed,  running  about  our  feet 
with  drooping  wings,  whiniag  grievously  in  such  entire  forgetfulness 
of  hersi'lf  and  in  such  an  agony  of  anxiety  for  her  young  that  the  hard- 
est hearted  must  have  pitied  her  and  have  felt  constrained  to  leave  her 
in  peace,  as  we  did. 

This  nest  contained  one  addled  egg  and  one  with  a  chick  dead  and 
dried  in.    The  egg  was  1|  by  IJ,  brown,  with  a  few  dots  of  umber. 

Every  fieldman  mu£t  1- '  acquainted  with  the  simulation  of  lameness 
by  which  many  birds  decoy,  or  try  to  decoy,  iutrudors  from  their  nests. 
This  is  an  invariable  device  of  the  partridge's,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
that  it  is  quite  successful  with  the  natural  foes  of  the  bird;  indeed,  it  is 
often  successful  with  man.  More  than  once  I  have  stood  still  when  a 
clucking  bird  flew  up,  and  laughed  heartily  to  see  some  tyro  rushing 
frantically  after  the  limping  mother,  shouting  *'Gome  on  I  she's 
wouuded !"  A  dog,  as  I  have  often  seen,  is  certain  to  be  misled  and 
duped,  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  a  mink,  raccoon,  skunk,  fox, 
coyote  or  wolf  would  fare  no  Letter.  Imagine  the  effect  of  a  bird's 
tactics  on  a  prowling  fox.  He  has  scented  her  as  she  sits;  he  is 
almost  upon  her;  but  she  has  been  watching  him,  and  suddenly 
with  a  loud  *^ whirr"  (the  whirr  is  essential,  I  think)  she  springs 
up  and  tumbles  a  few  yards  before  him.  The  suddenness  and  noise 
with  which  the  bird  appears  causes  the  fox  to  be  totally  carried  away; 
he  forgets  all  his  former  experiences ;  he  never  thinks  of  the  eggs : 
his  mind  is  filled  with  the  thought  of  the  wounded  binl  almost  within 
his  reach;  a  few  more  bounds  and  his  meal  will  be  secured.  So  he 
springs  and  springs,  and  very  nearly  but  not  quite  catches  her;  in 
his  excitement  he  is  led  on  and  away,  till  finally  the  bird  flies  off,  leav- 
ing him  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more  from  the  nest 

If,  instead  of  eggs,  the  partridge  has  chicks,  she  does  not  await  the 
coming  of  the  enemy,  but  runs  to  meet  and  mislead  him  ere  yet  he  is 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  brood ;  she  then  leads  him  tar  away,  and 
returning  gUhers  her  young  together  again  by  her  voice. 

When  surprised  she  utters  a  well-known  danger  siirnal,  whereupon 
the  young  ones  hide  under  logs  and  among  grass.  Many  persons  say 
they  will  each  seize  a  leaf  in  their  beak^  and  then  turn  on  their 
backs.  I  have  never  found  any  support  for  this  idea,  although  I  haw 
often  seen  one  of  the  little  creatures  crawl  under  a  dead  leaf. 

By  the  end  of  September  the  young  partridges  are  fully  grown  and 
very  fat    At  this  time  they  commonly  spend  the  night  either  squat 


vor..  xni,1 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


513 


ting  under  the  evergreens  or  roosting  in  the  trees;  but  when  the 
\Aeather  gets  cold  and  the  snow  lies  deep  and  soft  in  the  woods,  they 
begin  to  sleep  in  the  drifts,  going  down  nearly  a  foot  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  that  described  under  the  Prairie  Chicken. 

Their  food  at  this  time  is  chiefly  browse,  birch- catkins,  and  rosehips, 
bnt  in  the  summer  and  fall  they  live  largely  on  insects,  leaves,  berries, 
and  nuts.    In  September  I  shot  some  with  their  crops  full  of  acorns. 

The  flesh  of  the  partridge  is  ranked  by  many  as  the  most  delicate  of 
all  our  game,  while  the  bird  affords  the  best  of  sport  to  those  who  hunt 
it  fairly.  But  it  is  hard  to  understand  the  feeling  of  those  who  will 
beat  a  fine  partridge  bush  with  a  cur  that  is  trained  to  tree  the  bird  and 
hold  its  attention  by  barking,  while  his  comrade,  guided  by  the  uproar 
stealthily  approaches  within  a  few  feet  and  after  a  long  and  deadly  aim 
discharges  half  a  pint  of  buckshot  into  the  hapless  bird,  which,  between 
the  shot  and  the  cur,  is  so  mangled  before  the  musketeer  secuies  it  that 
after  all  he  gets  but  little  more  than  h^  deserves. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  an  object  in  motion  catches  the  eye  more 
quickly  than  one  at  rest,  and  it  is  evident  also  that  so  small  an  object 
in  a  landscape  as  a  rabbit  or  partridge  will  almost  certainly  escape  ob- 
servation if  it  lie  completely  at  rest.  This  fact  is  so  well  known  to  most 
wild  animals,  especiallj'  those  that  are  continually  harassed  by  the  pre- 
(laceous  kinds,  that  the  moment  they  perceive  the  approach  of  an 
enemy  they  become  motionless  as  statues,  and,  no  matter  what  their 
attitude,  move  neither  eye  nor  limb  till  they  have  tiioroughly  taken  in 
the  situation  and  satisfied  themselves  that  there  is  nothing  further  to 
be  gained  by  concealment.  This  habit  I  have  often  noticed  in  the  par- 
tridge and  have  observed  it  maintain  its  fixity  for  a  remarkable  length 
of  time  under  very  trying  circumstances. 

A  second  purpose  served  by  niotionlessness  is  that  of  enabling  the 
animal  to  observe  accurately  the  motions  of  its  enemy.  An  observer 
in  motion  can  not  accurately  gauge  the  slight  movements  of  another, 
and  the  only  resource  is  to  pause  often  so  that  the  relative  movements 
of  the  object  watched  may  be  gauged  against  the  background.  This 
end  I  conceive  is  exactly  met  by  the  nodding  head  of  the  walking  par- 
tridge; its  body  continues  in  steady  progression,  but  its  eye  or  base  of 
observation  is  for  a  moment  in  each  step  at  a  standstill,  thereby  giving 
it  a  great  advantage. 

On  the  14th  October,  1884,  whiNt  Prairie  Chicken  shootinK,  we  found  and  shot  a 
lar^e  full  pluniagod  male  partridge  oii  the  open  prairie,  at  least  a  mile  from  cover  of 
any  iiind.  This  species  exhibits  great  variation  in  plumage,  hardly  any  two  being 
alii<o.  I  have  found  the  extreme  phases  as  follows :  Rufous  plumage  with  black  riift's; 
;;ray  plumage  with  black  ruffr. ;  both  above  colorations  of  plumage  with  copper  rutt's 
and  black  tail  bars. 

lioth  colorations  of  pluma^^vy,  with  copper  rutts  and  copper  tail  bars;  the  great 
majority  of  birds,  however,  are  intermediate  between  these  phases.     Between  Oc- 
tober 16  and  December  9,  1880,  near  Winnipeg,  I  took  one  hundred  and  eighteen 
uf  these  birds,  amongst  them  thirty-one  adults  in  full  plumage.    The  following 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 33 


H 

I'MI 

''*f| 

'■l 

■  i 

PI 


■ft  I 


514  THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 

n'.euiorau«luni,  made  at  the  time,  shows  the   relative  proportions  of  the  above- 
meutioued  phases : 

A.  Black  riilf  with  rufus  plumage 10 

B.  Copper  ruff,  rufus  plumage,  with  copper  tail  baml 2 

C.  Black  ruft'  with  gray  plumage 8 

D.  Dark  intermediate  rutf,  gray  plumage 1 

Intermediates : 

Between  A  and  C 4 

Between  B  and  D 2 

Between  A  and  D 3 

Between  A  and  B 1 

The  remainder  of  those  taken  exhibit  every  possible  variation  between  these 

forms.    (Nash,  in  MSS.) 

98.  LagopuB  lagopuB.    Willow  Ptarmigan,  or  White  Pi.  ^xidge. 

Abundant  winter  visitant  to  the  wooded  regions  of  the  Northeast. 
Winnipeg :  Winter  visitor;  rare  ^  abundant  at  upper  end  of  Lake  Win- 
nipeg (Hine).  Swamp  Island:  1885,  first  seen,  a  flock  of  about  twenty 
on  February  16;  next  seen  on  February  21;  is  common  in  severe 
wljters  only;  is  usually  rare;  does  not  breed  here;  1886,  first  seen, 
about  ten,  on  January  12 ;  the  bulk  arrived  March  8 ;  last  seen,  March 
21;  was  abundant  this  year  (Plunkett).  Northern  part  of  Bed  liiver 
Valley:  Transient  visitor  in  winter  and  very  rarely  (Hunter).  Near 
Lake  Winnipeg,  at  Fort  Cumberland  and  to  the  eastward,  they  are 
common  every  winter  (Brewer).  Very  seldom  to  be  seen  south  or  west 
of  Lake  Winnipeg,  but  is  found  in  all  the  country  north  and  east  of 
that  lake  during  the  winter  season  (D.  Gunn).  Portage  la  Prairie, 
1884:  Saw  three  brought  from  Lake  Winnepegosis  last  winter  (1883); 
it  is  said  to  be  a  regular  winter  visitant  to  Lake  Manitoba,  generally 
in  January  and  February  (Nash).  In  the  year  1819  its  earliest  ap- 
pearance at  Cumberland  Housf  was  in  the  second  week  of  November 
(Richardson).  Common  every  winter  near  Fort  Cumberland  (Blakis- 
ton).    Norway  Rouse  (Bell). 

These  birds  are  very  numerous  at  the  northern  settlements,  likewise  on  the  eastern 
coasts  of  the  bay.  I  have  known  upwards  of  ten  thousand  saught  with  nets  at 
Severn  from  th(<  month  of  November  till  the  end  of  April.  (Hatchins  MSS., 
Observations  on  Hudson  Bay,  1782.) 

99.  TympanuohuB  amerioanus.    Prairie  Hen,  or  Pinnated  Grouse. 

Abundant  resident  in  the  cultivated  sections.  In  1872  Dr.  Coues 
wrote :  "  I  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  it  occurs  at  all  in  northwestern 
Minnesota  or  northern  Dakota.  •  »  •  I  have  met  with  no  indi- 
cation of  its  occurrence  north  of  the  tTnited  States  boundary."  In  1882, 
when  first  I  visited  Manitoba,  th?  species  was  nearly  unknown  in  the 
country,  the  only  known  specimens  having  been  taken  near  Wiiiuipeg 
in  1881.  In  1883,  Mr.  Hine  informs  me,  it  began  to  bo  common  at 
Pembina.    In  1884  it  was  not  only  common  at  Winnipeg,  but  had  also 


vol..  .\lll,'| 
J8U0.    J 


PROCEEUINGS    OF    THE    NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


515 


nuule  its  appearance  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  on  the  Assiniboine,  where, 
according  to  Mr.  Nash,  it  is  now  (1890) : 

Kosident ;  increasing  in  number  every  year.  The  iirst  I  heard  of  was  killed  in  the 
fall  of  1882,  about  8  miles  north  of  Portage  la  Prairie.  In  1883  I  heard  of  them  in 
one  or  two  places.  In  1884  I  killed  several  and  hoard  of  them  from  most  of  my 
friends  who  shoot.  Those  I  saw  were  all  young  birds  except  one.  This  was  in  full 
plumage.  In  April,  1885,  I  put  up  several  single  birds  on  a  piece  of  breaking,  and 
afterwards  heard  in  various  directions  their  peculiar  booming.  Since  that  they 
have  become  tolerably  common. 

Red  River  Valley,  1885:  It  is  now  a  permanent  resident  here,  but 
only  during  the  past  few  years;  they  are  gradually  working  their  way 
north  from  Minnesota,  and  have  appeared  at  Westbourne  (Hunter). 
Carberry:  In  December,  1886,  I  found  it  had  made  an  appearance 
there,  having  been  observed ;  also  at  Melbourne ;  in  1890,  Mr.  Hine 
\vrites  me  that  it  was  now  an  abundant  summer  resident  (Thompson). 

On  December  1, 1886,  Mas  shown  a{*rairieHen  {Tympamtchua  ameri- 
i'^oim)  shot  near  by,  and  was  told  that  young  Ed.  Thompson  shot  an- 
other here  last  fall.  Previously  the  bird  was  unknown  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. December  20,  at  Melbourne,  7  miles  east  of  Carberry,  saw 
two  Prairie  Hens.  The  species  is  evidently  working  towards  the  north 
and  west,  no  doubt  following  the  plow. 

The  first  inform, ition  I  received  of  the  appearance  of  the  Pinnated  Grouse  in  this 
]ir()vince  was  from  a  farmer,  living  about  8  miles  uoi.  .of  this  town  (Portage  la 
I'lairie),  who  had  shot  one  in  the  fall  of  1882.  I  did  not  see  the  bird,  but  from  the 
description  he  gave  me  of  it  I  could  not  mistake  it.  I  immediately  made  inquiries 
among  the  hunters  of  this  locality,  but  no  one  else  had  seen  it.  In  the  fall  of  1883  I 
iif^aiu  heard  of  the  bird  in  one  or  two  places,  but  saw  none  myself.  In  the  fall  of 
l-<84  it  became  plentiful,  comparatively  speaking,  in  this  neighborhood,  and  to  the 
I  istward,  that  is  to  say  between  here  and  Winnipeg,  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  secure 
t  vo  specimens  in  rather  a  lucky  fashion.  I  was  out  with  a  friend  chicken-shooting, 
October  6,  1884,  at  Hurnside,  a  settlement  10  miles  west  of  this  town,  when  we  saw  a 
large  flock  of  grouse  alight  in  a  stubble  field  near  us.  When  we  reached  the  field 
three  birds  got  up,  of  which  I  killed  two  with  the  first  barrel,  and  the  other  with  the 
second  barrel.  Of  the  two  first  killed,  one  was  a  Pinnated  Grouse,  the  other  a  Sharp- 
tailed  Gronse ;  the  one  killed  with  the  second  barrel  was  a  Pinnated  Grouse.  I  got  no 
others,  but  heard  of  them  from  nearly  all  of  my  acquaintances  who  hunt.  Strange 
to  say,  all  that  were  obtained,  except  ono,  appear  to  have  been  young  birds,  and  this 
Olio  was  in  full  plumage,  having  on  each  side  of  the  neck  the  long  pointed  feathers 
))eculiar  to  the  species.  So  far  as  I  can  learn  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  these 
liirds  are  not  yet  (March,  188.'})  found  much  west  of  the  place  where  I  killed  mine, 
nor  farther  north  than  10  or  12  miles  from  Portage  la  Prairie.  They  are  evidently 
working  in  here  fro'n  Minnesota  and  Dakota,  and  are  following  the  grain.  Up  to 
this  time  the  Sharp-tailed  Grouse  has  been  very  abundant,  but,  as  might  bo  expected 
it  in  getting  scarcer  in  the  vicinity  of  the  towns.  So  far,  both  birds  here  associate 
loficther  when  they  pack  and  find  food  in  the  stubbles.  (Xash,  in  Professor  Cook's 
report  on  migration,  1885). 

Ill  1886,  near  Winnipeg,  I  found  them  abundant,  about  one-third  of  the  Prairie 
GrotiHO  seen  being  of  this  species.  They  do  not  visit  the  deei.'  woods  as  do  the  Sharp- 
tailed  .Grouse,  but  in  the  winter  frequent  the  willow  shrub  for  shelter.  Nor  do  thoy 
80  often  alight  on  trees  as  the  other  species.  The  serrations^ittached  to  their  toes  are 
much  smaller  than  those  of  either  the  Ruffed  or  Sharp-tailed  Grouse,  which  may  per- 
haps be  the  reason. 


wi 


*  II 

i'  'I 


516 


THE   BIRDS   OF    MANIIOBA — THOMPSON. 


When  feeding  on  the  stuhhles  both  8pecie8  of  Prairie  Grouse  associate  together  in 
the  packs,  but  separate  when  the  Sharp-tails  go  into  the  woods.    (Nash,  in  MSS). 

100.    Pediocaetes  phasianeilus.    Northern  Sharp  tail  Grouse. 

Resident  in  the  Nortlibast.  rfouie  of  these  birds  were  shot  near  Dogs 
head  Lake,  Winnipeg;  thenco  I  Jiave  found  them  eastward,  as  far  as 
Long  Lake  and  Pie  iJiver,  on  Lake  Superior  (Bell,  1880).  Mr.  Bidg- 
way  informs  me  that  the  Smithsonian  Institution  has  a  specimen  of  true 
phasianeilus  from  Lake  Winnipeg  ;  at  Bat  Portage  also  I  saw  severnl 
specimens  shot  in  the  vicinit-  (Thompson).  Trout  Lake  Station  (Mur- 
ray).   In  great  plenty  near  Cumberland  Hijuse  (Hearne,  1771), 

I  have  seen  them  in  great  plenty  near  Cumberland  House  *  •  *  frequently 
perch  on  the  tops  of  the  highest  poplars,  out  of  moderate  gunshot,  and  will  not  suf- 
fer a  near  approach.  They  sometimes,  when  disturbed  in  this  situation,  dive  into 
thu  snow  ;  but  the  sportsman  is  eqnally  balked  in  his  expectations,  as  they  force 
their  way  so  fast  under  it  as  to  raise  foi  flight  many  yards  distant  ftom  the  place  they 
enteied,  and  very  frequertly  in  a  different  direction  to  that  from  which  the  sports- 
n'an  expects.  This  I  assert  irom  my  own  experience  when  r,t  Cumberland  House.. 
(Hearne.) 

Ankuskou,  Pheasant  grous  •  »  »  .  These  birds  keep  in  pairs  or  ^n  all  flocks 
and  frequent  the  Juniper  plaim.  all  the  year.  The  buds  of  these  trees  are  their  prin- 
cipal food  in  ' /inter,  as  their  berrios  are  in  summer.  They  generally  inhabit  abont 
the  same  spot,  unless  distnrbod;  their  flights  are  short.  They  frequently  walk  on 
the  ground,  and  when  raised  will  fly  on  the  top  of  an  adjacent  tree.  In  June  they 
make  a  nest  on  the  ground  'A-ltb  grass  and  Uneit  with  their  own  feathers.  They  lay 
from  four  to  seven  white  eggs,  with  colored  spots,  and  bring  forth  their  young  about 
the  middle  of  Jtme.     (Hutch'us  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hudson  Bay,  176'.J.) 

Kat  Portage,  Oc';>ber  11, 1886.  Some  iudians  came  to  the  door  to-day  with  Prairie 
Chickens  to  sell.  So  far  as  I  could  judge  these  did  not  differ  from  opecimeus  seen  at 
Pert  Arthur,  and  were  probably  referable  to  the  typical  form.  (E.  E.  T.) 

lOOa.  Pediocaetes  phasianeilus  campestils.    Prairie  Chicken. 

Abundant  and  resident  throughout  the  South  and  West  (the  Car- 
berry  form  is,  according  to  Mr.  Ridgway,  nearer  to  ^mpestris  than  to 
phasianeilus) ;  abundant  resident ;  abounds  from  Pembina  to  the 
Bockies,  along  the  line  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Stinking  River  and  Long 
Lake;  summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Red  River  Settlement 
(Blakistou).  Several  times  observed  from  the  trains  between  Winnipeg 
and  Rat  Portage  (Thompson).  Ossowo :  Resident ;  breeding  (Wagner). 
Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant;  resident  (l!Ta8h).  Very  abundant  on  the 
prairies  from  Livingstone  southward  in  1881,  but  not  noted  at  all  in  the 
Wiuoepegosis  region  (Maconn).  Carberry :  Abundant;  resident ;  partly 
migratory,  as  it  lives  on  the  prairies  in  summer  an  I  in  the  woods  in  win- 
ter; noted  at  Sewell,  Chattr,  Brandon,  norUi  slop*)  of  Turtle  Mount- 
ain as  far  afj  Pelicrn  Lake,  throughout  the  country  from  Carberry  to 
Fort  EUice,  and  northwards  in  prairie  localities  to  Cote's  Reserve 
(Thompson).  Qu'Appelle  :  Common  ;  permanent  resident ;  breeds 
(Gnerusey). 

April  18,  1882.    Saw  a  flock  of  about  t'uirty  Prairie  Chickens.    Shot 


vol,.  XIII.l 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE    NATIONAL    MUSEUM. 


517 


kens.    Shot 


one  and  identified  it  aa  the  Pedioccetes  phasianellus.  It  was  a  female. 
Length  17,  extension  25^  inches.  The  pectinations  on  the  toes  very  im- 
perfect. Some  of  its  comrades  flew  ofif  and  perched  on  tops  of  the 
highest  trees.  While  the  one  I  had  shot  was  struggling  in  the  agonies 
of  death,  its  tail  was  rapidly  vibrated,  so  that  the  hard  stiff  feathers  of 
wbich  it  is  composed  proauced  a  loud  rustling  noise,  somewhat  like  the 
sound  of  a  newspaper  shaken  violently. 

April  19.  Large  numbers  of  Prairie  Chickens  about.  They  are  said 
to  be  returning  from  the  woods. 

April  21.  Numbers  of  Prairie  Ohickens  about.  One  was  on  the  roof 
of  the  shanty  making  a  curious  crowing  noise. 

April  2S.  Went  to  spruce  brush  with  A.  S.  T.  On  the  road  he  showed 
me  a  Prairie  Chicken.  I  dropped  it  at  40  yards  with  a  half  charge  of  Ne. 
12.  My  brother  remarked  that  they  were  never  alone  at  this  season ; 
there  must  be  another  near  by ;  and  presently  I  saw  its  head  in  the  grass 
and  added  it  to  our  bag.    Both  were  males. 

No.  1.  Length  18,  extension  26  inches;  bare  skin  over  the  eye,  bright 
chrome-yellow  ;  air  sacs  purplish ;  all  pectinations  gone  from  the  toes 
but  about  6  points ;  claws  very  blunt. 

No.  2.  Length  18,  extension  27  inches ;  exactly  as  above,  but  pec- 
tinations of  the  toes  complete  yet  and  claws  quite  sharp. 

May  8.  Prairie  Chickens  abundant  now  on  the  prairies. 

May  9.  Three  Prairie  Chickens  brought  to  me  to-day  by  the  boys  ; 
two  males  ;  one  female;  crops  of  all  were  filled  with  willow  catkins, 
siind-flowers  {Anemone  patens),  and  rosehips.  The  female  was  without 
the  air-sacs  on  the  neck  or  the  yellow  over  the  eye.  One  had  no  pec- 
tinations on  the  toes,  the  other  two  had  the  imperfect  remains  of  them 
only. 

May  ;iO.  Prairie  Chicken  (male)  shot  to-day  shows  no  pectinations 
whatever  on  the  toes. 

May  12.  Brandon.  C.  T.  shot  a  Prairie  Chicken  (female).  In  the  ova- 
duct  was  an  egg  nearly  ready  to  be  dropped;  it  was  of  a  very  pale  blue; 
about  the  color  of  a  blue-bird  egg. 

May  15.  Camp  30  miles  south  of  Souris.  Shot  a  Prairie  Chicken  ; 
(female) ;  toes  quite  clear  of  pectinations ;  gizzard  and  crop  filled  with 
rosehips  and  the  fleshy  flower  receptacles  of  the  sand-flower  {Anemone 
patens). 

May  10.  Camp  10  miles  east  of  land  office.  Turtle  Mountain.  Shot  a 
Prairie  Chickea  (female) ;  no  pectinations  on  toes  ;  crop  full  of  willow 
catkins  and  sand-flowers ;  one  egg  ready  to  be  laid;  it  is  pale  bluish 
olive  in  color. 

Sept.  23.  Prairie  Chickens  were  numerous  today  in  a  little  grove  just 
west  of  the  house.  Specimens  shot  showed  the  feathering  of  the  legs 
and  the  pectinations  of  the  toes  in  full  development. 

In  Manitoba  this  bird  is  always  spoken  of  us  t  he  Prairie  Chicken. 
1  iiave  several  times  heard  this  name  objected  to  by  Eastern  naturalists 


IP 


s  t  <{| 


pi  I 


518 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


as  being  preoccupied  by  the  Tympanuchiis  americanii8,  but  I  would  sub. 
init  that  the  latter  is  always  known  as  the  Prairie  Hen;  *  and  though 
but  a  flue  distinction  it  is  a  distinction,  and  it  is  better  that  it  should 
remain,  rather  than  attempt  the  alteration  of  nomenclature  that  has 
become  as  much  a  part  of  the  language  as  the  conjugation  of  the  verb 
"  to  be." 

This  eminently  prairie  bird  in  the  summer  time  usually  retires  to 
the  woods  and  sand  hills  on  the  approach  of  winter;  but  in  the  spring, 
before  the  snow  is  gone,  they  again  perform  a  partial  migration  and 
scatter  over  the  prairies,  where  alone  they  are  to  be  found  during  the 
summer.  They  are  very  shy  at  all  times,  but  during  the  winter  the 
comparatively  heedless  individuals  have  been  so  thoroughly  weeded  out 
by  their  numerous  enemies  that  it  requires  no  slight  amount  of  stalking 
to  get  within  range  of  a  flock  in  the  springtime. 

The  advent  of  the  grouse  on  the  still  snow-covered  plains  might 
l)rove  premature,  but  that  they  find  a  good  friend  in  the  wild  prairie 
rose  {Rosa  blanda).  It  is  abundant  everywhere,  and  the  ruddy  hips, 
unlike  most  fruits,  do  not  fall  when  ripe,  but  continue  to  hang  on  the 
stiff  stems  until  they  are  dislodged  by  the  coming  of  the  next  season's 
crop.  On  the  Big  Plain  stones  of  any  kind  are  unknown,  and  in  nearly 
all  parts  of  Alanitoba  gravel  is  unattainable  during  the  winter ;  so  that 
the  "chicken"^ and  other  birds  that  require  these  aids  to  digestion 
would  be  at  a  loss  were  it  not  that  the  friendly  rose  also  supplies  this 
need  ;  for  the  hips,  besides  being  sweet  and  nutritious,  contain  a  num- 
ber of  small,  angular,  hard  seeds,  which  answer  perfectly  the  purpose 
of  the  gravel.  To  illustrate  the  importance  of  this  shrub,  in  this  re- 
gard, I  append  a  table  of  observations  on  the  crops  and  gizzards  con- 
tents of  grouse  killed  during  the  various  mouths  as  indicated : 

January. — Roac-hips,  browse,  and  eqiiiaotutn  tops. 

February. — Rose-hips  aud  browse. 

March, — Rose-hips  and  browse. 

April. — Rose-hips  and  browse  of  birch  and  willow. 

May. — Rose-hips  and  sand-flowers  (Anemone  pateua). 

June. — Rose-hips,  grass,  gr.isslioppors,  and  Prooonia  C08tali$.\ 

July. — Rose  hips,  seeds  of  star-grass,  and  P.  costalia. 

August. — Rose-hips,  grass,  strawberries,  aud  P.  costalia. 

September. — Rose-hips,  grass,  berries,  and  P.  coatalia. 

October. — Rose-hips,  grass,  and  various  berries. 

Koi'ember. — Rose-hips,  birch  and  willow  browse,  aud  berries  of  arbutus. 

December. — Rose-hips,  juniper  berries,  and  browse. 

This  is,  of  course,  a  mere  list  of  staples,  as  in  reality  nothing  of  the 
nature  of  grain,  fruit,  leaves,  or  insects  co'nps  amiss  to  this  nearly  om- 
nivorous bird,  but  it  illustrates  the  importance  of  the  rose-hips,  which 


*  Unfortunately,  this  is  an  error.  One  rarely  hears  the  name  Prairie  Hen  applied 
to  the  Tympanuchus  in  the  prairie  States,  where  its  almost  nuiveraal  name  is  Pruirie 
Chicken,  often  shortened  to  simply  Chicken. — R.  R. 

tAs  this  insect  is  found  all  summer,  it  may  prove  not  costalia,  bat  a  nondescript. 


VOL  XIII, T 
1800.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


519 


are  always  attaiuable,  as  they  grow  everywhere  and  do  not  fall  when 
ripe.  In  the  course  of  my  experience  I  have  examined  some  hundreds 
of  gizzards  of  the  Prairie  Ohicken,  and  do  not  recollect  ever  finding 
one  devoid  of  the  stony  seeds  of  the  wild  rose.  It  is  probable  that 
the  service  is  mutual,  for  these  seeds  secure  a  better  distribution  after 
being  swallowed  by  the  grouse;  and  as  they  were  passed  out  with 
possibly  increased  vitality  they  may  germinate  more  readily  for  the 
thinning  their  outer  coat  would  receive  during  the  grinding  operation. 

After  the  disappearance  of  the  snow  and  the  coming  of  warmer 
weather,  the  chickens  meet  every  morning  at  gray  dawn  in  companies 
of  from  six  to  twenty  on  some  selected  hillock  or  knoll  and  indulge  in 
what  is  called  "  the  dance."  This  performance  I  have  often  watched. 
It  presents  the  most  amusing  spectacle  I  have  yet  witnessed  in  bird 
life.  At  first,  the  birds  may  be  seen  standing  about  in  ordinary  atti- 
tudes, when  suddenly  one  of  them  lowers  its  head,  spreads  out  its 
wiugs  nearly  horizontally  and  its  tail  perpendicularly,  distends  its  air 
sacs  and  erects  its  feathers,  then  rushes  across  the  "  floor,"  taking  the 
shortest  of  steps,  but  stamping  its  feet  so  hard  and  rapidly  that  the 
sound  is  like  that  of  a  kettle  drum  ;  at  the  same  time  it  utters  a  sort 
of  bubbling  crow,  which  seems  to  come  from  the  air  sacs,  beats  the  air 
with  its  wiugs,  and  vibrates  its  tail  so  that  it  produces  a  low,  rustling 
noise,  and  thus  contrives  at  once  to  make  as  extraordinary  a  spectacle 
of  itself  and  as  much  noise  as  possible. 

As  soon  as  one  commences  all  join  in,  rattling,  stamping,  drumming, 
crowing,  and  dancing  together  furiously ;  louder  and  louder  the  noise, 
faster  and  faster  the  dance  becomes,  until  at  last,  as  they  madly  whirl 
about,  the  birds  are  leaping  over  each  other  in  their  excitement.  After 
a  brief  spell  the  energy  of  the  dancers  begins  to  abate,  and  shortly 
afterwards  they  cease  and  stand  or  move  about  very  quietly,  until  they 
are  again  started  by  one  of  their  number  "  leading  off." 

The  whole  performance  reminds  one  so  strongly  of  a  Oree  dance  as 
to  suggest  the  possibility  of  its  being  the  prototype  of  the  Indian  exer- 
cise. The  space  occupied  by  the  dancers  is  from  50  to  100  feet  across, 
and  as  it  is  returned  to  year  after  year,  the  grass  is  usually  worn  off 
and  the  ground  trampled  down  hard  and  smooth.  The  dancing  is  in- 
dulged in  at  any  time  of  the  morning  or  evening  in  May,  but  it  is  usu- 
ally at  its  height  before  sunrise.  Its  erotic  character  can  hardly  be 
questioned,  but  I  can  not  fix  its  place  or  value  in  the  nuptial  ceremo- 
nies. The  fact  that  I  have  several  times  noticed  the  birds  join  for  a 
brief  set-to  in  the  late  fall  merely  emphasizes  its  parallelism  to  the 
drumming  and  strutting  of  the  partridge,  as  well  as  the  singing  of 
small  birds. 

The  whole  affair  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  the  maneuvering  of  the 
European  Buff,  and  from  this  and  other  reasons  I  am  inclined  to  sus- 
pect the  Sharptail  of  polygamy.  When  the  birds  are  disturbed  on  the 
hill  they  immediately  take  wing  and  scatter,  uttering,  as  they  rise, 


/■ 


!  i 


520 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


their  ordinary  alarm  note,  a  peculiar  vibrator^^  "  each,  cacic,  cack.''^  This 
is  nearly  always  uttered  simultaneously  with  the  beating  of  the  wings, 
and  so  rarely,  except  under  these  circumstances,  that  at  first  1  sup- 
posed it  was  caused  by  the  wings  alone,  but  since  have  heard  the 
sound  both  when  the  birds  were  sailing  and  when  they  were  on  the 
ground,  besides  seeing  them  fly  ofl:'  silently.  They  have  also  a  call — a 
soft,  clear  whistle  of  three  slurred  notes,  E  A  D — and  a  sort  of  gruut  of 
alarm,  which  is  joined  in  by  the  pack  as  they  fly  off.  Their  mode  of 
flight  is  to  flap  and  sail  by  turns  every  40  or  ^0  yards,  and  so  rapid 
and  strong  are  they  on  the  wing  that  I  have  seen  a  chicken  save  itself 
by  its  swiftness  from  the  first  swoop  of  a  Peregrine  Falcon,  while  an- 
other was  seen  to  escape  by  flight  from  a  Snowy  Owl. 

The  nest  of  this  species  is  placed  in  the  long,  rank  grass  under  some 
tuft  that  will  aid  in  its  concealment,  and  is  usually  not  far  from  a  tract 
of  brush  land  or  other  cover.  It  is  little  more  than  a  slight  hollow  in 
the  ground,  arched  over  by  the  grass.  The  eggs,  usually  fourteen,  but 
sometimes  fifteen  or  sixteen  in  number,  are  no  larger  than  those  of  the 
common  pigeon,  and  are  actually  smaller  than  those  of  the  Upland 
Plover,  a  bird  which  is  only  one-eighth  of  the  chicken's  weight.  Im 
mediately  before  expulsion  they  are  of  a  delicate  bluish  green ;  on  being 
laid  they  show  a  }mrplish  grape  like  bloom  ;  after  a  few  days  expos- 
ure they  become  of  a  deep  chocolate  brown,  with  a  few  dark  spots. 
After  a  fortnight  h»'"  transpired  they  are  usually  of  a  dirty  white;  this 
change  is  partly  due  to  bleaching  and  partly  to  the  scratching  they 
receive  from  the  mother's  bill  and  feet. 

A  partial  history  of  the  young  in  a  wild  state  is  briefly  as  fol- 
lows: At  the  age  of  G  weeks  they  are  fully  feathered  and  at  2  months 
fully  grown,  although  still  under  guidance  of  the  mother  at  this  time. 
There  is  usually  not  more  than  six  or  seven  young  ones  left  out  of  the 
original  average  brood  of  fifteen,  which  statement  shows  the  ntimber 
of  chicks  which  fall  a  prey  to  their  natural  enemies,  wa'ile  many  sets 
^f  eggs*  also  are  destroyed  by  the  fires  which  annually  devastate  the 
prairies.  As  the  fall  advances  they  gather  more  and  more  into  flocks 
and  become  regular  visitors  to  the  stubble  fields,  and,  in  consequence, 
regular  articles  of  diet  with  the  farmers  until  the  first  fall  of  snow 
buries  their  fo  aging  grounds  and  drives  tlioni  en  masse  to  the  W(ods. 

During  the  summer  the  habits  of  the  chickens  are  eminently  terres- 
trial; they  live,  I'e'-'d,  atul  sleej)  almost  exclusively  on  the  ground;  but 
the  first  snow  makes  a  nuliciil  change.    They  now  act  more  like  a  prop- 
erly adapted  perching  bird,  for  they  spend  a  largo  part  of  their  time 
in  the  highest  trees,  Hying  from  one  to  another  and  ]»erchiDg,  blows 
iiig,  or  walking  about  among  tlm  branches  with  perfect  ease,  and  evi 
dently  at  this  tirni^  preferring  an  arboreal  to  a  teneslrial  life.     When 
thus  aloft  they  are  not  at  all  jtossossed  of  that  feeling  of  seeurity  which 
makes  the  similarly  situated  Knifed  (Irouse  so  easy  a  prey  to  the  pot 
hunter.    On  the  contrary,  their  perfect  grasp  of  the  situation  usually 


VOL.  XIII.T 
1890.  J 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM, 


521 


renders  thorn  shy  and  induces  them  to  fly  long  ere  yet  the  sportsman 
has  come  near  enough  to  be  dangerous. 

Like  most  of  the  members  of  its  family,  the  Prairie  Chicken  spends 
the  winter  nights  in  the  snow,  which  is  always  soft  and  penetrable  in 
the  woods,  although  out  on  the  plaius  it  is  beaten  by  the  wind  into 
drifts  of  ice-like  hardness.  As  the  evening  closes  in  the  birds  fly  down 
from  the  trees  and  either  dive  headlong  into  a  drift  or  run  about  a  little 
and  select  a  place  before  going  under.  The  bed  is  generally  about  6 
inches  from  the  surface  and  a  foot  long  from  the  entrance.  Each  indi- 
vidual prepares  his  own  place,  so  that  a  flock  of  a  dozen  chickens  may 
be  scattered  over  a  space  of  50  yards  square.  By  the  morning  each 
bird's  breath  has  formed  a  solid  wall  of  ice  in  front  of  it,  so  that  it  in- 
variably goes  out  at  one  side.  The  great  disadvantage  of  the  snow  bed 
is,  that  when  there  the  birds  are  more  likely  to  become  the  prey  of  foxes ' 
and  other  predaceous  animals,  whose  sagacious  nostrils  betray  the  very 
spots  beneath  which  the  unsuspecting  bird  is  soundly  slumbering.  1  am 
inclined  to  think  this  is  the  only  chance  a  fox  has  of  securing  one  of  the 
old  birds,  so  wary  are  they  at  all  other  times. 

As  the  winter  wanes  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  snowstorm  to  be  ac- 
eonipauied  by  sleet.  The  storm  at  once  drives  the  chickens  into  the 
drifts  and  afterwards  levels  the  holes  they  formed  in  entering.  The 
freezing  of  the  sleet  then  forms  a  crust  which  resists  all  attempts  at  es- 
cape on  the  part  of  the  birds,  many  of  which,  according  to  the  account 
of  hunters,  are  starved  and  thus  perish  miserably.  I  met  with  a  single 
instance  of  this  myself. 

Before  the  winter  is  over,  many  of  the  birds,  by  continuously  pulling 
off  frozen  browse,  have  so  worn  their  bills  that  when  closed  there  is  a 
large  opening  right  through  immediately  behind  the  hook.*  Early  in 
April  the  few  that  have  survived  the  rigors  and  perils  of  their  winter 
life  spread  over  the  prairie  once  more  and  soon  scatter  to  enter  on  their 
duties  of  reproduction. 

The  growth  and  shedding  of  the  pectinations  on  the  toes  I  have  re- 
corded at  length,  and  not  having  heard  of  any  use  for  them,  conceived 
the  idea  which  I  have  already  published  (1883),  that  they  are  intended 
to  act  as  snowshoes,  and  the  fact  that  they  grow  in  the  fall  and  con- 
tinue in  perfection  all  winter,  only  dropping  ott"  after  the  snow  is  gone, 
juMtitles  this  conclusion.  The  same  remark  applies  to  the  similar  ap- 
pendages of  the  Kurted  (Iroiihe.  The  tail  seems  to  present  a  curious 
«;pecializat;  Mt,  most  marked  in  the  cmter  feathers;  its  ciiief  function  in 
life  appears  to  be  making  a  noise.  Tlie  (tentral  pair  of  soft,  h)iig,  silent 
IV.:thers  stand  out  like  monuments  of  what  the  tail  used  to  be  in  the 
pahny  days  of  thespecioH,  when  not  mere  hubbub  in  the  nuidding  crowd 
«»M  the  nois.\  dance  hill,  but  dainty  decoration  was  the  charm  by  which 
cliieily  the  pedioca'tes  wooed  aiul  won  his  nuite. 


iv 


Thu  ftuiiie  I'ciniirk  upiilicH  to  tlie  partridKO. 


»    r 


522 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


101.  Ectopistes  migratorius.    Wild  Pigeou.  ^ 

Tolerably  coiuiugu  summer  resideut  of  wooded  regions ;  countless 
flocks  in  Red  River  Valley  late  May  and  early  June,  1873;  breeding;  a 
few  seen  in  Turtle  Mountain  (Coues).  Duflfcrin :  Arrived  May,  7, 1874 
(Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine). 
Ossowo:  Rare :  breeding;  18S5,  first  seen,  two,  on  April  18;  next  seen, 
April  19;  seldom  seen  here  (> Vaguer).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  June 
20  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common  summer  resident;  arriving 
about  the  first  week  in  May,  departing  at  the  end  of  September;  on 
May  21  fresh  eggs  were  found  (Nash).  Sarden  Island,  Lake  of  the 
Woods ;  Penuawa  River ;  Fort  Garry,  1858,  pigeon  nets  were  in  use  near 
Fort  Garry;  Portage  la  Prairie,  1858,  June  17,  pigeons  were  flying  in 
vast  numbers  over  the  Assiniboine ;  Souris  River,  near  Spencer  Knob, 
27  June,  1858,  vast  numbers  of  pigeons  were  flying  in  a  northwesterly 
direction  (tlinc).  Found  a  few  breeding  on  Waterhen  River  in  1881 ; 
about  a  dozen  nests ;  in  early  fall  saw  great  numbers  in  tlie  Swan  River 
region  (Macoun).  Caiberry:  Tolerably  commci  spring  migrant ;  prob- 
ably breeding;  south  slope  of  Riding  Mountain  (Thompson).  Two 
Rivers:  1885,  on  May  14,  saw  several;  they  did  not  alight  (Griddle). 
Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  five,  on  June  15 ;  odd  pairs  breed  here  (Gal- 
cutt).    Qu'Appelle:  Occasional;  May  10  (Guernsey). 

On  May  17,  1884,  saw  flocks  of  wild  pigeons  flying  westward,  and  on 
July  22,  Portage  la  Prairie,  saw  a  number  in  the  woods  along  the  river. 
Apparently  they  breed  in  this  region,  and  if  so,  no  doubt  as  isohated 
pairs,  for  I  am  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  any  extensive  rookeries  in 
the  province. 

Pigeuus  of  a  small  size,  not  larger  than  a  tlirusb,  are,  iu  some  sunuiters,  fouud  as 
far  north  as  Churchill  River.  The  bill  in  of  a  llesh  color,  legs  reil,  and  the  greatest 
part  of  the  plumage  of  a  light  lilac  or  bluish.  In  the  interior  parts  of  the  country 
they  ily  in  large  Hocks  and  perch  on  the  poplar  trees  in  such  numbers  that  I  have 
seen  twelve  of  them  killed  at  one  shot.  They  usually  feed  on  poplar  buds  and  are 
good  eating,  though  seldom  fat.  They  build  their  ueats  in  trees,  the  same  as  the  Wood 
Pigeons  do;  never  lay  but  two  eggs,  and  are  very  scarce  near  the  scacuast  in  all  the 
northern  parts  of  Hudson's  Bay.    (Hearue.) 

Merue  rouck  pigeons.  The  lirst  species  I  shall  take  notice  of  is  one  I  received  at 
Severn,  in  the  year  1771,  and,  having  sent  it  home  prcHCived  to  Mr.  Pennant,  he 
informed  me  it  was  the  niigratoria  species.  They  are  very  nuniotous  inland  and  visit 
our  settlement  to  the  southward  iu  summer.  They  are  plenty  about  Moose  Fort  and 
inland,  where  they  breed,  choosing  an  arboreoiiN  situation.  Tlie  gentlemen  ninnber 
them  amongst  the  many  delicacies  Hudson's  Bay  ntl'ords  nurtabl's.  'T  is  a  hardy  bird, 
continuing  with  them  till  December.  In  ^'ummer  their  food  is  berries,  and  when 
thewe  are  covere<l  with  snow  they  eat  the  Juniper  buds.  They  lay  two  eggs  and  are 
gre^'urious.  •  •  •  About  twenty-six  years  iigo  these  ]»igiMMiM  migrated  up  as  high 
as  York  Fort,  but  continued  only  two  days,  (HutchinsMHS. {Observations  on  Hud- 
mm'h  Hiiy,  ITna, ) 

A  few  hordesof  Indians  thai  rre(|uent  the  low  Hooded  traetsatthe  south  end  of  Lake 
Winnipeg  subsist  principally  on  the  ))igeons  during  a  period  of  the  summer  when  the 
sturgeon  ilshing  is  unproductive  and  the  Zetania  aqualka  has  nut  yet  ripened,  but 


vol..  xiii.n 

1890.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


523 


farther  uortb  these  birds  are  too  fow  in  namber  to  furuisb  a  material  of  diet.  (Ricb- 
ardsou,  1827.) 

Garden  Island,  Lake  of  tbe  Woods.  Large  flock  of  Passenger  Pigeons  {Columba 
mUjratoria)  llew  backwards  and  forwards  over  the  island,  occasionally  alighting  in 
dense  masses  in  the  small  groves.    (Hind,  August  24,  1857.) 

In  a  wheat  tield  opposite  St.  James  Church  (2  miles  west  of  Fort  Garry)  were 
several  pigeon  traps,  constructed  of  nets  20  feet  long  by  15  broad,  stretched  upon  a 
fniuio.  One  side  was  propped  up  by  a  pole  8  feet  long,  so  that  when  the  birds  passed 
under  the  net,  to  pick  up  the  grain  strewed  beneath,  a  man  or  a  boy,  concealed  by  a 
fence  or  bnsh,  withdrew  the  prop  by  means  of  a  string  attached  to  it,  and  sometimes 
succeeded  in  entrapping  a  score  or  more  of  pigeons  at  one  fall.  Near  the  net  some 
dead  trees  are  placed  for  the  pigeons  to  perch  on,  and  sometimes  stuffed  birds  are 
iiHcd  as  decoys  to  attract  passing  flocks.    (Hind,  1658.) 

On  Waterhen  River,  Jnne  23, 1881, 1  found  a  few  wild  pigeons  breeding.  There 
was  under  a  score  of  nests  and  they  were  variously  placed,  some  of  them  but  10  feet 
iVoin  the  grouna  and  not  in  largo  trees.  They  were  such  flimsy  structures  that  the 
tj,'j58  were  clearly  seen  through  the  interstices  from  below,  and  one  old  bird  was  shot 
as  she  sut. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August  and  the  early  part  of  September  I  saw  great  flocks  on 
the  Upper  AHsiniboiuo,  and  on  Swan  River  above  Livingston.  They  were  feeding  on 
tlio  berrit's  of  Corntia  slolotiiftra.  In  all  my  travels  in  the  northwest  I  have  never  since 
loiiiid  them  breeding.    (Prof.  John  Macoun  in  MSS.) 

1  think,  too,  we  have  fur  lessbirds  than  formerly,  especially  wild  fowls  and  pigeons. 
I  remember  when  I  used  to  see  flocks  of  pigeons  following  the  course  of  the  Red  Kiver 
which  were  so  large  that  the  front  of  each  flock  was  out  of  sight  in  the  north  whilst 
the  tail  was  out  of  sight  in  the  south,  but  tliey  never  come  now.  (Donald  Murray's 
statement  in  I'^H?  to  Miller  Christy,  leferring  to  the  early  days  of  the  colony.) 

They  breed  early,  as  I  shot  a  female  on  May  31,  1884,  containing  an  egg  properly 
Nliclled  and  just  ready  for  extrusion. 

They  do  not  in  this  locality  build  in  colonies,  but  place  their  nests  singly,  usually 
ii<  small  oaks,  the  uialeN  at  the  time  the  females  are  incubating  keeping  in  small  flocks. 

On  the  27th  of  Juno,  1885,  I  shot  fourteen  of  these  birds,  all  males,  each  one  of  them 
having  its  crop  crammed  full  of  green  caterpillars,  mostly  of  one  species  of  geomctra. 

Early  in  July  the  young  appear  with  the  old  ones  of  both  sexes.    (Nash,  in  MSS. ) 


102.  Zenaidura  maoroura.    Mourning  Dove. 

Rare  summer  resident  of  the  southern  part  of  the  first  prairie  steppe ; 
common  at  Pembina  in  June  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Kather  rare  (Hine). 
I'ortagela  Prairie :  Tolerably  common  summer  resident  near  here,  breed- 
ing in  small  wild  plnm  trees;  arrives  in  May;  nest  found  containing 
two  eggs,  on  which  bird  was  sitting  Juno  7,  1885;  not  observed  by 
1110  near  Winnipeg  (Nash).  Never  seen  at  Carberry;  once  noted  at 
Turtle  Mountain,  May,  1882  (Thompson).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  sum- 
iiuT resident ;  breeds;  arrives  May  lli  ((luernsey). 

103.  Cathartes  aura.    Turkey  Vulture. 

Tolerably  common  in  summer  and  probably  breeding;  frequently 
stt'i!  in  the  lied  River  region  at  the  boundary  (Coiu's).  Winnipeg:  One 
or  two  observed  (Hine).  Hcd  River  Settlement:  On  the  U7th  of  April, 
185!>,  the  winter  snow  was  covering  the  grountl  to  the  depth  of  a  foot, 
while  the  rivers  were  still   bound;  the  only  part  of  the  interior  of 


!   HI 


524 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


British  Ifortli  America,  as  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  that  it  inhabits  in  the 
prairie  country  that  lies  to  the  south  and  west  of  Lake  Winnipeg 
(Blakiston).  Portage  la  Prairie :  1884;  scarce  summer  resident;  first 
seen  May  23;  occasionally  se*  n  in  April  and  May,  and  again  in  Septem- 
ber, generally  near  the  Assiniboine  River ;  not  observed  near  the  Red 
River  (Nash).  Tolerably  common  summer  resident  at  Carberry ;  not 
known  to  breed;  near  Turtle  Mountain;  Fort  El  1  ice ;  Cote's  Reserve 
(Thompson).  Two  liivers:  Rare;  two  seen  hovering  over  bank  of  river, 
May  2  (Griddle).  Shot  near  Westbourue  in  1881  (Macoun).  Upper 
Assiuiboine  (Bell).  Plains  of  the  Souris  near  Pipestone  Creek  (Hurd, 
July,  1858).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident ;  breeds ;  arrives 
]\Iay  20  (Guernsey).  Shell  River :  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  April  25:  here 
all  summer  at  times,  but  not  breeding  (Calcutt). 

lu  Miuuesota,  abundant;  breeding.  Tlie  Turkey  Buzzard  usually  selectH  the  hol- 
low prostrate  trunk  of  a  large  tree  for  its  nest.  I  found  young  birds  nearly  fledged 
as  late  as  the  2t)th  of  July.  There  are  usnally  <\n'o  young,  occasionally  but  one 
This  bird  is  capable  of  withstanding  considerable  cold.  I  saw  it  on  tbeij4th  of  Octo- 
ber, and  again  on  the  8th  of  December.     (T.  M.  Trippe.) 

104.  Elanoides  forficatus.    Swallow-tailed  Kite. 

A  rare  straggler;  observed  in  northern  Minnesota  near  the  boundary 
(Thompson).  Occasional  at  Pembina  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Accidental 
visitant;  rare  (Hine).  Noticed  at  Selkirk,  Pembina  Mountains,  and 
Fort  Qu'Appelle  (Hunter). 

105.  Circus  hudsoulus.    Harrier,  or  Marsh  Hawk. 

Abundant  summer  resident,  chiefly  in  the  prairie  regions;  common 
along  the  boundary  from  Pembina  to  Rockies ;  next  found  at  Pembina 
(Coues).  Duft'erin:  Arrived  before  April  15  (Dawson).  Winnipeg: 
Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Spring  of  1859;  did  not  observe  it 
before  the  28th  of  that  month  (April)  at  Red  River  Settlement  (Blak- 
iston). Ossowa:  Common;  breeding,  1885;  last  seen,  one  on  November 
12  (Wagner).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  April  27;  1885,  first  seen,  one 
on  April  8;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
1.S84;  very  common  summer  resident;  first  seen  April  11;  birds  in  the 
full  blue  plumage  being  occasionally  seen;  arrive  early  in  April;  are 
abundant  by  the  middle  of  the  month ;  dej)art  at  the  end  of  October 
(Nash).  Carberry:  Our  commonest  hawk;  summer  resident  near  Turtle 
i\Iountnin;  near  Slioal  Lake,  west;  the  adults  in  blue  plumage  com- 
mon in  spring  and  fall,  rare  atother  times  (Thompson).  Brandon:  April 
1(»,  1882(H\K>d).  Common  in  the  WinnepegosJH  region,  but  ex(H'edingly 
4ilMindant  on  the  niaishy  prairies  from  Liviii^^'ston  southward  along  the 
Assiuiboine,  September,  1881  (Macoun).  Qu'AppelU^:  Con)mon  sum 
nier  resident;  breeds;  arrives  April  J5  ((Juernsey).  Adult  nmlo,  Cum- 
berland House  (Kichardson).    Severn  House  (Murray). 

September  28,  1882:  The  full  pluuiaged  Gray  Harriers  are  here  once 
more.    This  bird  comes  earlier  in  the  s|)ring  than  the  brown  plumaged 


VOL.  XIII.T 
1890.     J 


PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


525 


X  I 


barrier,  goes  farther  north  to  breed,  migrates  later  in  the  fall,  aud 
flies  differently,  so  that  if  it  is  the  same  bird,  the  ca^e  is  a  unique  one. 

On  October  3,  1883,  watched  a  Blue  Harrier  capture  a  junco  in  full 
flight;  the  latter  exhibited  some  extraordinary  feats  on  the  wing,  but 
the  harrier  was  always  close  behind,  and  followed  up,  down,  into  the 
grass  or  along,  and  in  a  few  seconds  he  flew  off  with  the  sparrow  in  his 
talons.  I  am  very  sure  the  powers  of  flight  of  this  hawk  are  much 
beyond  those  of  a  Brown  Harrier. 

On  October  3,  near  Shoal  Lake,  west,  saw  a  Blue  Harrier  trying  to 
catch  some  teal  that  were  on  a  very  small  shallow  pond.  Each  tim^ 
the  harrier  pounced  the  teal  would  dive  below  the  surface,  and  at  the 
same  time  splash  the  water  up  as  high  as  possible.  This  happened 
several  times,  and  at  length  the  baffled  harrier  gave  up  the  attempt. 

On  May  13,  i884,  saw  a  hawk  flying  over  the  slough  with  a  deeply 
undulated  flight.  At  each  ascending  part  it  uttered  a  cackling  which 
sounded  like  something  between  the  shrill  piping  of  a  snipe  and  the 
chuck-chuck  of  a  rooster  calling  the  hens;  then  it  dashed  on  the  down- 
ward line,  repeating  the  maneuvers  for  half  a  mile,  when  it  was  lost  to 
sight.  This  bird  seemed  black  above,  and  pure  white  beneath;  tail, 
long. 

On  i*Iay  19  a  harrier  was  sitting  on  a  tussock  in  the  middle  of  the 
slough.  It  was  easily  approached  by  an  old  and  never-failing  plan.  I 
fixed  my  eyes  on  a  point  in  the  horizon,  which  was  so  situated  that  by 
going  toward  it  I  must  pass  within  30  yanls  of  the  hawk.  I  then  walked 
straight  to  my  mark,  never  turning  my  head  or  even  my  eyes,  else  the 
bird  had  surely  flown.  When  at  the  nearest  point  I  turned  suddenly; 
immediately  the  hawk  sprang,  but  at  once  fell  to  ray  gun. 

It  proved  a  female  and  had  a  tchite  breast  and  slaty-brown  back.  In 
the  gizzard  was  a  gopher  which  had  evidently  been  stealing  wheat,  when 
the  harrier  caught  and  lynched  him  on  the  spot.  Certainly  this  is  a  plea 
for  the  hawk.  Six  of  the  grains  were  in  good  condition,  though  much 
swollen.  They  were  planted  but  failed  to  germinate,  doubtless  because 
siiturated  with  the  harrier's  gastric  juice,  but  most  likely  the  greater 
])art  of  the  gopher's  cargo  was  spilt  where  he  was  devoured,  so  that 
this  illustrates  one  natural  mode  of  distributing  seed. 

I  have  made  many  other  observations  on  the  food  of  this  bird  in 
Manitoba,  and  all  point  to  gophers  as  the  staple,  blackbirds  aud  spar- 
rows as  occasional  varieties.  I  once  saw  an  old  one  trying  to  capture 
some  young  ducks,  but  the  mother  duck  contrived  to  keep  him  at  bay 
by  splashing  until  the  ducklings  escaped  into  cover. 

May  20,  saw  a  hawk  flying  in  a  most  extraordinary  fashion.  Its  course 
was  excessively  undulated,  with  the  ascending  parts  nearly  perpendicu- 
lar, the  descending  in  a  long  oblique,  the  outline  being  that  of  a  huge 
rip  saw.  During  the  flrst  upward  bound  it  uttered  a  continuous  cackling, 
much  like  the  note  of  a  snipe,  then  plunged  silently  downward,  again 
to  bound  upward;  when  at  the  highest  point  this  time  it  turned  a 


■if  • 


'     'I 
t      I 


i^^ 


526 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


complete  somersault,  then  pluiigCvl  again,  and  rep  jated  this  series  of 
actions  a  number  of  times,  then  set  its  wings  rigidly  and  sailed  away 
in  a  straigit  lin?,  never  flapping  once  till  out  of  sight.    It  was  a  gray 
hawk  with  a  white  breast  and  seemed  a  perfect  master  of  aerial  navi 
gation. 

July  13,  at  the  slough  saw  a  hawk  sailing  about  and  squeaking  like 
a  snipe.  It  continued  sailing  very  near  caud  seemed  in  no  fear  of  me, 
but  of  course  1  had  no  gun.  A  kingbird  launched  out  fr^.n  a  bush 
and  gave  chase;  the  hawk  rosr  higher  and  higher  till  the  kingbird  was 
lost  to  sight;  soon  the  latter  returned  and  afterward  the  hawk.  This 
happened  twice  and  made  me  think  it  was  a  Red-tailed  Buzzard. 

As  he  did  not  seem  dii^posed  to  go  away,  I  went  home  and  in  half 
an  hour  returned  with  a  gun.  He  was  still  there  and  soon  again  came 
sailing  and  squeaking  over  me.  He  made  a  swoop  which  brought  him 
very  near;  then  crack!  and  he  fell  headlong.  I  ran  to  pick  up  my  prize 
to  find  the  Arctic  hawk,  at  last,  and  lo!  my  old  friend  the  harrier,  the 
commonest  of  our  predacious  birds.  , 

August  9, 1  shot  an  adult  female  harrier  nt  the  same  place  as  last 
taken.  She  also  was  uttering  the  peculiar  cackling,  though  not  flying 
after  the  manner  described.  Her  gizzard  contained  a  mass  of  pulp 
which  was  full  of  what  looked  like  raspberry  seeds.  I  think  it  likely 
she  had  swallowed  a  gopher  whose  stomach  was  full  of  that  fruit. 

On  September  9,  on  the  edge  of  the  grain  field,  in  the  evening,  saw  a 
barrier  (brown)  pounce  on  a  Prairie  Chicken,  but  the  latter  struggled, 
and  at  length  got  free  and  made  a  dash  for  life,  with  the  harrier  in 
close  pursuit,  but  to  my  surprise  the  chicken  gained  at  every  beat, 
and  in  less  than  100  yards  the  harrier  gave  up  the  chase  and  turned 
about  in  search  of  gophers,  grasshoppers,  and  other  game  more  within 
his  reach. 

The  Marsh  Harrier  \^Circtt»  eyaneus  hudsoniua)  is  a  very  common  bird  througli- 
out  Manitoba,  and  may  often  be  seen  sailing  over  the  prairies,  the  slonglis,  or  tho 
wheat  tiehlN.  One  morning  late  in  August  I  remember  counting  a  dozen  ronml  one 
house.  «  ^  *  Nearly  all  the  individuals  I  saw  were  in  tho  brown  pluma^re ;  only 
three  or  four  wore  the  adnlt  bluish  ash-colored  dress.  This  bird. co>nes  often  and  in- 
spects the  settlers'  chickens,  but  seldom  carries  off  any  except  very  young  ones — 
gophers,  mice,  and  grasshoppers  being  its  usual  prey.  It  is  exceedingly  easy  to  shoot 
and  one  or  two  dead  ones  may  often  bo  seen  lying  round  a  farmer's  house.  The  bar- 
rier became  a  much  scarcer  bird  as  September  wore  on  (Christy.) 

These  hawkH  are  very  fond  of  eating  tho  ducks  that  are  killed  and  lost  by  sportsmen, 
and  where  much  shooting  is  done  in  a  marsh  yon  may  see  numbers  of  carcasses  of 
duiks  half  devoured  by  this  bird.  On  one  occasion  a  harrier  tried  to  take  from  mo  ii 
wounded  teal  that  had  crossed  a  creek  on  the  bank  of  which  I  was  shoo  ing.  Before 
I  sent  my  don;  fo"  tho  duck  tho  hawk  came,  hovering  over  tho  creek,  and  seeing  the 
prostrate  bird  immediately  pounced  on  i  back,  but  the  teal  fluttered  and  threw 
him  off  for  tho  moment.  As  I  wished  to  see  the  result  I  kept  perfectly  quiet,  and 
tho  hawk,  not  noticing  me,  m'ttled  down  on  tho  ground  about  2  feet  from  the  duck 
and  watched  for  some  time  ;  at  last,  apparently  tired  of  waiting  for  tho  wounded  bird 
to  die,  he  went  off.  These  birds  should  never  be  destroyed ;  as,  though  occasionally 
they  may  take  a  young  or  wounded  duck,  their  prey  is  usually  mice  and  gophers. 
(NMb,  M8S.) 


VOL.  XIII, n 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


106.  Accipiter  veloz.    Sbarp-shinued  Hawk. 


527 


Summer  residents  of  woodlands.  Duflferin :  Arrived  before  April  15 
(Dawson).  Mouse  River  at  the  boundary  (Coues).  Winnipeg :  Summer 
resident ;  tolerably  cou;:>^on;  April  15  to  October  15  (Hine).  Specimens 
in  Smithsonian  Institution  iicrn  Bed  Eiver  Settlement,  and  from 
between  Hudson's  Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg  (Blakiston).  Portage  la 
Prairie :  Common  in  spring  and  autumn,  bnt  not  often  seen  during  the 
summer;  ariives  in  April  and  departs  in  October;  in  1884  arrived, 
tirst  appearance,  April  16  (Nash).  Carberry :  One  taken  October  5 
(Thompson).  Observed  in  Winnepegosis  county;  saw  a  number  near 
(Jot6'8  Reserve,  and  shot  one  at  Livingston,  September  11, 1881  (Macoun). 

T.iia  audacious  little  robber  is  about  tbe  commouest  hawk  ia  the  wooded  section 
.ibout  Portage  la  Prairie,  but  owing  to  his  hiding  propensities  he  is  not  so  much 
noticed  us  the  others.  His  usual  habit  of  hunting  is  thus:  He  skims  along  low 
amongst  b  ishes  and  shrubs,  constantly  alighting  on  the  branches,  and  woe  to  the 
unfortunate  sparrow  or  other  small  bird  th.at  fails  to  drop  into  the  grass  before  he 
arrives,  for  if  the  little  bird  is  once  seen  it  rarely  escapes ;  for,  unlike  most  hawks,  this 
fellow  will  follow  his  prey  through  the  thickest  places,  hopping  and  running  after 
'.  -m  with  the  greatest  rapidity.  I  have,  when  quietly  seated  in  the  brush,  been  fre- 
q^'cntly  warned  of  the  approach  of  this  hawk  by  the  sudden  cessation  of  song  around 
lue,  and  the  utterance  of  a  peculiar  plaintive  squeak  by  the  small  birds  in  the  vicinity, 
upon  which  they  all  drop  down  and  hide,  and  in  a  moment  my  ghost-like  friend  glides 
like  a  shadow  on  tlie  scene,  drops  on  a  low  branch  for  a  second,  and  then  passes  on. 
.Sometimes,  however,  I  have  seen  this  hawk  strike  at  and  pursue  a  bird  in  the  air, 
like  a  true  falcon,  and  on  one  occasion  an  impudent  villain  of  this  species  glanced 
piist  my  head  and  snatched  up  a  plover  I  had  shot,  carrying  it  ott"  in  frontof  my  dog's 
nose,  and  this  ho  did  before  the  report  of  my  gun  had  died  away,  and  through  the 
smoke  from  the  charge.  The  act  so  astonished  me  that  I  forgot  to  shoot  at  him  until 
lie  was  too  far  otT;  when  I  did  remember,  1  sent  the  other  charge  after  him,  but 
n  ithout  effect ;  ho  did  not  even  drop  his  ill-gotten  spoil.  On  another  occasion  one 
followed  a  rtv'poll  almost  into  my  buggy.  On  the  22d  of  August  I  saw  one  strike  at 
a  Bronzed  Grackle  and  carry  Lt  otf  from  where  it  was  feeding  in  a  public  street,  at 
Portage  la  Prairie,  although  there  were  many  people  about. 

I  have  occasionally  seen  this  bird  hover  like  the  kestril,  but  very  rarely.  (Nash,  in 
MS.S.) 

107.  Accipiter  cooperl.    Cooper's  Hawk.    Chicken  Hawk. 

Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  I  have  seen 
them  at  Oak  Lake,  west  of  Brandon,  where  they  breed;  and  saw  a 
pair  on  10th  May,  8  miles  south  of  Troy  dei^ot,  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way, west  (R.  H.  Hunter).    North  to  the  Sasl;atchewan  (Brewer). 

108.  Accipiter  atricaplUus.    American  Goshawk. 

Tolerably  common  fall  and  winter  visitant;  usually  appealing  in 
August.  Winnipeg:  Winter  visitant  abundant;  November  15  to 
March  1  (Hine).  Portage  la  Trairio  (Nash).  Carberry :  Tolerably  com- 
mon in  fall  and  early  winter;  usually  appearing  in  August;  not  noted 
during  breeding  season.  Rat  Portage:  Fall  (Thompson).  A  regular  but 
uncommon  winter  vi^sitor;  more  frequently  seen  near  tie  Red  River 
near  Winnipeg  (Nash). 


':l 


I 


I 


it . 


528 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


Ou  August  27, 1883,  George  Measham  brought  a  large  goshawk  that 
he  had  shot  by  the  north  slough;  young  female;  length  24,  extension 
44;  weight,  2^  pounds  good.  It  is  a  very  big,  heavy  bird ;  legs,  all 
reticulate  except  in  front,  where  they  are  scutellate;  plumage  vrry 
pale,  streaked  all  over;  a  white  line  over  the  eye;  its  throat  and  stom- 
ach were  filled  with  bad  meat,  but  there  was  nothing  to  show  of  what 
kind. 

On  September  14  I  secured  a  living  goshawk  by  a  curious  combina- 
tion of  circumstances.  Some  days  before  a  harrier  had  been  shot  over 
at  Wright's  while  chasing  the  chickens  and  was  left  where  it  fell;  and 
on  the  day  in  question  the  chi  kers  were  picking  at  the  now  odorous 
body  of  their  late  fot  "hr^  u^ree  great  gray  hawks  came  wheeling 
overhead,  and  presen:'  o\n:  of  tuem  pounced  down  among  the  fowls. 
Away  they  ran  for  shelt;  .    ve  one,  which  was  carried  oflF  and  the 

three  pirates  circled  awa^  and  ■  ,  ^n  onto  the  prairie  to  enjoy  their 
repast,  where,  lo!  to  their  infinite  aisgust,  they  found  that  the  only 
chicken  which  had  not  fled  waa  t  he  dry  and  musty  dead  harrier.  In  the 
meantime  I  had  started  after  them  with  the  gun,  and  by  the  never- 
failing  trick  of  pretending  not  to  see  them,  for  there  was  not  a  stick  of 
cover,  I  got  within  shot  and  secured  a  bird  with  each  barrel.  One  of 
them  was  only  winged  and  after  a  short  chase  he  was  captured  and 
taken  home. 

Here  1  kept  him  for  over  a  month,  but  finding  that  his  wing  was  not 
likely  to  heal  1  kille  \  him.  During  the  time  he  lived  he  lost  no  whit 
of  his  inborn  ferocity ;  he  was  kept  chained  by  the  entrance  to  the  gar- 
den, find  so  far  as  hens  were  concerned  he  answered  perfectly  as  a  gate. 
He  was  always  ready  for  a  fight  when  any  dog  came  near;  but  I  found 
that  by  approaching  cautiously  I  could  seize  his  feet,  after  which  he 
was  powerless  to  inflict  any  injury. 

The  flight  of  this  fine  species  is  worthy  of  the  true  falcon,  for  it  is 
so  dashing  and  swift  that  the  common  buzzards  look  veiy  slow  and 
clumsy  in  comparison. 

January  13,1887,  at  Bat  Portage,  was  shown  the  remains  of  a  goshawk 
shot  here  last  fall. 

I  have  Been  these  birds  strike  at  Sbarp-tailed  Gronse  and  at  tame  pigeons,  bntthey 
do  nut  seem  to  be  successful  in  tbeir  efforts  very  often,  for  I  never  saw  them  catch 
one  nor  do  they  appear  to  follow  up  their  game  after  making  tbeir  dash  at  it.  (Nasb. 
in  MSS.) 

109.  Buteo  boreallB.    Red-tailed  Hawk.  > 

(Possibly  krideri,  as  a  breeding  specimen  from  Chippewa  Lake,  Min 
nesota,  is  so  identified  by  Mr.Bldgway.)  Tolerably  common  summer 
resident  of  the  wooded  regions;  one  taken  on  Mouse  River,  at  the 
boundary,  in  September  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  rare 
(Hiue).  I  saw  numbers  at  Red  River  Settlement  in  the  spring  of  1859 
(Blakistou).   Portage  la  Prairie :   Tolerably  common  summer  resident, 


VOL.  xni.l 
l8»o.   J 


frequenting 
mix'  residei 
breeding  (1 
Shot  one  f 
Shell  River 
day ;  is  a  e 

By  June 
the  Duck  IV 
Hawk,  whi( 
Manitoba, 
length  20,  ( 
not  at  all  a 
past  a  iiart 
tail  perche( 
animal;  bu 
tail,  and  fc 
ebt'og  sigl 
swiftly  on 
avoid  the 
with  a  gra< 
heavy  feet, 
iu  an  oa':. 
which  caui 
Gopher  {8^ 
received  as 

This  sp( 
Manitoba, 
in  the  mor 
two  specie 
taken  as  a 
animal  ha^ 
fact  that 
iiecessarilj 
further  sti 
different  fi 


Rather 
H.  Huntei 
(Macoun). 

11 

Very  ab 

dant  50  m 

Mouse  Ki\ 

April  12  (5 

Pro 


M  i 


VOL.  XIII.T 
IHM).  J 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


529 


frequenting  the  skirts  of  the  woods  (Nash).  Garberry :  Oommon  suin- 
ini  r  resident  in  wooded  localitii  s  near  here;  Duck  Mountain,  observed 
breeding  (Thompson).  Bran(?on  Hills:  Nesting,  Juno  4,  1882  (Wood). 
Shot  one  fine  specimen  at  Livingston,  September  13, 1881  (Macoun). 
Shell  River:  1885,  drst  seen,  one,  male,  on  April  5,  afterward  seen  every 
day;  is  a  common  summer  resident,  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt). 

By  June  10,  1884,  the  Red-tailed  Hawk  was  an  abundant  specias  in 
the  Duck  Mountain  wooded  region,  much  more  so  than  the  Swainson 
Hawk,  which  is  the  prevailing  species  on  the  prairie  region  of  southern 
Manitoba.  June  18,  at  Duck  Mountain,  shot  a  Red-tailed  Hawk,  female; 
length  20,  extension  48.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  the  eastern  bird,  and 
not  at  all  approaching  krideri.  On  July  9,  as  I  drove  with'Dr.  Gilbert 
past  a  part  of  the  plain  on  which  were  a  few  scrub  oaks,  I  saw  a  Red- 
tail  perched  on  a  post.  As  we  drew  near  he  flew,  but  dropped  a  small 
animal;  but  before  he  could  secure  it  he  was  attacked  by  another  Red- 
tail,  and  for  some  time  their  brilliant  tourney  in  the  air  was  an  inter- 
e^t'og  sight.  Again  and  again  the  uppermost  biid  would  charge 
swiftly  on  the  other,  which  would  thereat  alight  on  the  earth  and  so 
avoid  the  onslaught,  or  if  too  high  for  that  means  of  escape  would, 
with  a  graceful  sweep,  turn  on  his  back  and  strike  upwards  with  his 
heavy  feet.  The  combat  was  ended  at  last  by  the  weaker  taking  refuge 
in  au  oa'  .  In  the  meantime  I  had  stepped  in  and  secured  the  boot 
which  caused  the  strife.  It  was  a  very  fine  specimen  of  the  Scrub 
Gopher  {Spermophilus  franklini),  a  rare  animal;  so  it  was  thankfully 
received  as  an  addition  to  my  collection. 

This  species  seems  to  be  the  complement  of  Swainson's  Hawk  in 
Manitoba,  adhering  to  the  forest  regions,  while  the  latter  is  found  only 
in  the  more  open  places.  The  differences  of  habit  presented  by  these 
two  species  are  slight  but  quite  appreciable,  and  are  of  a  class  that, 
taken  as  a  whole,  incline  me  to  lay  down  a  law  that  no  two  species  of 
animal  have  the  same  exact  environment,  aside  from  the  hypothetical 
fact  that  no  animal  fulfilling  exactly  the  same  conditions  would 
necessarily  be  of  the  same  species.  I  find  that  each  species,  as  it  is 
farther  studied,  shows  that  it  is  adapted  to  a  set  of  conditions  slightly 
different  from  those  of  its  nearest  congeners. 


'1/ 


it 


I'i 


110.  Buteo  lineatUB.    Red-sbonldored  Hawk. 

Bather  common  in  the  eastern  or  wooded  part  of  the  province  (R. 
H.  Hunter).  One  fine  specimen  shot  on  Oak  HiUs,  November  3, 1881 
(Macoun). 

111.  Buteo  swainsoni.     Swainson's  Hawk.    Common  Henhuwk. 


Very  abundant  summer  resident  in  the  prairie  region.    Very  abun- 
dant 60  miles  west  of  Pembina  Mountains,  at  Turtle  Mountain,  and  at 
Mouse  River,  along  the  boundary  (Coues).    Oak  Point:  1884;  arrived 
April  12  (Small).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Port- 
Proc.  N.  M.  W) 34 


630 


THE    BIRDS    OF    MANITOBA THOMPSON. 


age  la  Prairie;  1884;  abundant;  summer  resident;  first  appearance  in 
1884,  April  10;  frequentiu^r  the  open  prairie  and  breeding  in  conspicu- 
ous places,  usually  in  a  small  tree  standing  among  low  scrub  (Nasb). 
Carberry:  Very  abundant;  summer  resident;  breeds  perhaps  twice  each 
season;  arrivesmiddleof  April,  departs  middle  of  October;  near  Bran- 
don, Long  River;  near  Turtle  Mountain;  in  prairie  region  (Thompson). 
Two  Rivers :  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  March  il ;  next  seen,  one,  March 
14;  pretty  common  and  breeds  here  (Criddle).  Dalton :  1889,  first  seen, 
two,  on  March  22;  next  seen  on  March  23;  is  common,  and  breeds  here 
(Youmans).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen, two, on  April  0;  afterwards 
seen  nearly  every  day;  it  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Gal- 
cutt).  Abundant  on  the  prairies  along  our  route  (Macouu).  White 
Sand  River;  May  4,  1884  (Christy). 

Several  times  I  have  been  guided  to  a  hawk's  nest  by  the  old  ones 
themselves,  who,  in  their  tremor  of  anxiety  for  their  young,  have  flown 
half  a  mile  or  more  to  meet  me,  circling  high  above  me  and  uttering 
those  long  piercing  screams,  with  an  intonation  of  distress  that  was 
unmistakable.  On  one  occasion,  while  trapping  Gray  Gophers  {Sper- 
mophilus  richardsoni)  at  a  teeming  colony  of  this  rodent,  a  hawk  flew 
repeatedly  over  me  and  back  and  forth  between  me  and  an  adjoining 
wooded  slough.  At  first,  I  supposed  I  was  trespassing  on  his  hunting 
ground,  especially  when  presently  I  saw  him  catch  a  gopher,  and  with 
it  sail  away  so  directly  towards  the  trees  that  the  inference  of  his 
nest  being  there  was  too  palpable  to  be  mistaken ;  I  therefore  followed 
him,  and  after  a  brief  search  discovered  the  nest  in  a  low,  dead  poplar 
tree.  Both  old  ones  were  screaming  overhead,  so  that  it  was  with  cer- 
tainty of  a  prize  that  I  proceeded  to  climb  the  tree.  As  soon  as  my 
head  appeared  on  the  level  of  the  nest,  one  of  the  three  young  ones 
escaped,  &  second  could  barely  fly,  yet  it  swooped  out  aslant  into  the 
scrub,  20  yards  away.  The  third  could  not  fly  at  all.  Thus  it  seemed 
that  they  were  of  different  ages.  The  nest  contained  one  gopher.  The 
two  young  birds  were  secured  with  little  trouble;  at  first,  the  only  de- 
fense they  made  was  gaping  silently,  with  feathers  bristling  and  wings 
spread  forward;  but  on  my  trying  to  tie  their  feet.  No.  3  seized  a  fore- 
finger in  each  claw  and  so  held  them  till  the  blood  trickled  from  two 
or  three  places ;  he  only  let  go  his  hold  when  I  spread  his  legs  and 
brought  my  knee  to  bear  on  his  breast. 

Meanwhile  the  old  ones  were  careering  overhead,  and  on  the  back  of 
the  lowest  was  a  kingbird,  whose  silent  diligence  and  energetic  applica- 
tion to  the  task  of  plucking  the  hawk  was  most  amusing.  He  took 
several  rides  of  over  a  hundred  yards,  and  ultimately  the  hawk  ap- 
proached so  near  to  me  that  she  fell  to  a  charge  from  the  gun.  This 
proved  to  be  the  mother.  Her  gizzard  contained  a  Striped  Gopher  and 
part  of  a  quaily  ;  the  rest  of  the  quaily  was  in  her  throat,  with  one  foot 
in  her  mouth ;  so  full  was  she  that  I  wondered  how  she  was  able  to 
scream  so  much. 


VOL.  Xlll.n 

1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE    NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


531 


One  of  these  young  hawks  was  accidentally  killed  by  a  wagon,  but 
the  other  throve  in  my  hands  and  soon  became  reconciled  to  confine- 
ment in  a  barn,  where  in  process  of  time  he  was  joined  by  another  of 
his  own  kind,  a  Peregrine  Falcon,  two  Horned  Owls  and  a  Crane.  Very 
soon  the  hawk  evidently  noticed  a  connection  between  my  visits  and 
bis  meals,  and  in  a  few  days  he  learnt  to  greet  me  with  an  oft-repeated 
scream,  much  like  that  of  the  adults.  His  tameness  increased  until  he 
would  run  screaming  to  be  fed  whenever  he  saw  me.  In  a  week  or  so 
more  he  could  fly  tolerably  well,  and  was  readily  taught  to  come  scream- 
ing and  sailing  about  my  head  in  response  to  the  call,  "Come,  Dick." 
Then,  after  a  performance  of  voice  and  wing  long  enough  to  give  suflft- 
cient  eclat,  to  the  forthcoming  grand  finale  he  would  swoop  past  with 
the  rapidity  of  at  least  a  barnyard  hen,  and  bear  away  mj 'cap  unless  I 
held  up  in  my  hand  a  bird  or  gopher,  which  he  never  failed  to  truss. 
One  foot  only  was  used  for  small  birds,  usually  his  left,  but  if  both 
gripped  it  was  not  at  the  same  place,  one  foot  being  held  far  in  advance 
of  the  other. 

It  is  hard  to  say  to  what  extent  this  bird  might  have  been  tamed, 
for  during  my  absence  for  a  week  or  so  he  reverted  entirelv^  to  his  orig- 
inal habits,  and  was  thenceforth  but  little  better  than  the  wild  kins- 
man that  shared  the  building  with  him.  The  history  of  this  latter  bird 
is  worth  relating.  I  was  looking  out  of  the  window  when  I  chanced  to 
see  a  hawk  alight  on  a  fence  some  160  yards  away ;  it  was  very  con- 
spicuous, having  a  white  head.  This  aroused  my  curiosity  to  know 
what  strange  species  it  was.  I  took  my  rifle  and  by  a  wonderfully 
lucky  shot,  which  I  could  not  repeat  for  a  kingdom,  temporarily  stunned 
the  bird,  the  ball  barely  grazing  its  crown.  It  proved  to  be  '^.n  old  one, 
and  its  head  was  white  chiefly  behind  and  more  or  less  streaked  with 
brown.  When  it  revived  it  was  placed  in  the  barn  and  seemed  well 
enough,  but  refused  all  food,  and  for  twelve  days,  so  far  as  I  know,  it 
ate  nothing.  By  this  time  it  was  reduced  to  a  mere  skeleton,  but  on 
the  thirteenth  day  an  idea  seemed  to  dawn  on  it,  and  it  made  a  hearty 
meal  off  a  gopher,  and  continued  well  until  one  day  the  Horned  Owls, 
its  fellow  captives,  were  left  with  insufficient  provender,  whereupon  they 
killed  the  hawk  and  devoured  it  to  make  up  the  deficiency.  On  a  later 
occasion  poor  Dick  received  a  similar  sepulture. 

The  brood  from  which  Dick  was  taken,  be  it  observed,  was  not  able 
to  leave  the  nest  until  July  24.  I  hfive  several  times  found  the  bird 
with  one  or  more  eggs  ou  May  20;  have  seen  it  setting  late  May  and 
early  June;  on  June  26  I  found  a  neat  with  four  eggs,  nearly  hatched ; 
and  again  on  June  28  I  found  one  with  young  ones  out  and  one  egg 
not  hatched.  On  August  8  I  was  led  by  a  pair  of  old  ones  to  the  nest, 
which  at  that  time  contained  o;  ly  their  youngest  chick,  then  just  able 
to  fly  a  little.  On  the  same  d\  r,  in  a  different  locality,  I  shot  an  old 
one  which  was  carrying  a  m     mw  lark  presumably  home  to  feed  its 


,5.. 


h 


til.' 

m 


d  I 


532 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


youDg.    So  that  these  instanues  rather  confirms  the  idea  suggested  by 
Dr.  Goues,  that  this  hawk  may  breed  twice  in  a  season. 

As  already  indicated,  the  habits  of  this  species  are  those  of  a  Bed. 
tail  which  has  betaken  itself  to  a  prairie  life,  and  in  consequence  its  nest 
is  in  a  lower  situation  and  its  flight  less  lofty,  while  it  is  also  frequently 
seen  sitting  on  the  ground.  For  plowed  fields,  in  particular,  it  mani- 
fests a  partiality,  perhaps  because  amid  such  surroundings  it  can  most 
readily  see  and  secure  the  gophers  which  constitute  its  principal  food. 

The  nest  of  this  bird  is  not  peculiar.  I  have  examined  about  fifty 
altogether,  and  have  hitherto  failed  to  find  one  that  answers  the  pub- 
lished descriptions,  which  credit  the  bird  with  using  a  lining  of  hair 
and  other  fine  material.  All  the  nests  examined  early  in  the  season 
were  merely  masses  of  sticks  and  twigs,  with  a  slight  hollow  to  contain 
the  eggs,  and  had  no  special  lining.  But  nests  examined  after  the 
growth  of  the  leaves — usually  about  the  end  of  May — were  more  or  less 
lined  with  twigs  plucked  with  green  leaves  on  them,  and  these  when 
slightly  wilted  readily  flatten  down  and  form  a  wind- proof  screen. 

In  general  appearance  this  nest  is  much  like  that  of  the  red-tail,  but 
the  position  is  different,  being  usually  less  elevated.  I  have  seen  many 
nests  that  I  could  reach  from  the  ground.  The  favorite  sites  are  the 
crown  of  a  dense  willow-clump,  or  the  highest  fork  of  a  low  scrub  oak ; 
occasionally  I  have  observed  the  nest  at  a  height  of  20  or  even  30  feet, 
in  some  poplar,  but  this  is  unusual. 

The  eggs  are  commonly  three  but  sometimes  four  in  number;  they  are 
more  or  less  spherical  and  vary  mucb  in  color.  The  young,  when 
hatched,  are  the  purest  and  downiest  looking  of  innocents,  and  it  is  only 
on  examination  of  the  tiny  though  promising  beak  and  claws  that  one 
can  credit  that  little  snowball  with  the  <'  makings"  of  a  ruthless  and 
bloodthirsty  marauder. 

The  diet  provided  for  them  by  the  old  ones  consists  of  animal  food 
entirely ;  about  90  per  cent,  of  it,  probably,  being  gophers  and  insects, 
and  the  rest  composed  chiefly  of  young  song  and  game  birds. 

The  name  henhawk  is  a  misnomer  as  far  as  this  species  is  concerned. 
All  the  hen  lifting  I  have  seen  done  in  Manitoba  was  the  work  either  of 
the  peregrine  or  the  goshawk. 

AuguRtS,  1882,  near  Badger  Hill:  On  the  way  ont  here  I  got  a  tine  buzzard;  its 
crop  waa  lull  of  grasshoppers  and  mosquitoes.    (Wood.) 


112.  Buteo  latiBsimuB.    Broad-winged  Hawk. 

In  Ontario  it  is  essentially  the  hawk  of  thick  foliage  and  densest  for- 
est; very  rare;  summer  visitant.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  rare 
(Hine).  Fort  Garry  (Ridgway).  Oarberry  :  May  12,  1884,  saw  what  1 
took  to  be  a  Broad-winged  Buzzard;  did  not  collect  it;  have  not  seen 
the  species  here  before  (Thompson). 


vol..  xiii,1 

189U.     J 


PROCEEDING^   OP    THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


533 


113.  Arohibuteo  lagopus  sanoti-johaimis,    American  Bough-legged  Hawk. 

Migrant ;  common  fall  visitant.  Less  common  in  the  spring.  Win- 
nipeg: Bare  migrant;  "have  seen  only  three  specimens  in  as  many 
years;"  1884  (Hiue).  Oarberry  :  Kare  in  spring ;  tolerably  common  in 
fall;  Rat  Portage  (Thompson).  Oak  Point  1885;  first  seen,  one,  on 
April  7 ;  next  seen,  April  3 ;  became  common  on  the  10th :  breeds  here  t 
(Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Gommon  in  spring;  abundant  in  autumn 
(Nash).  Received  both  from  Severn  House  and  Trout  Lake  Station 
(Murray). 

This  bird  is  far  from  being  common  in  Manitoba.  On  the  Big  Plain 
I  have  seen  only  about  a  dozen  specimens,  and  of  these  about  one-fourth 
were  in  the  black  plumage. 

Throughout  the  Assiniboine  Valley,  so  far  as  noted,  it  is  found  only 
in  the  spring  and  fall.  It  generally  appeared  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Carberry  when  the  nights  began  to  be  a  little  frosty.  The  earliest  I 
bave  observed  was  on  September  9.  This  was  a  black  specimen ;  it 
was  perched  on  the  top  of  the  tallest  tree  in  a  wet  place  on  the  prairie ; 
when  it  saw  me,  200  yards  off,  it  flew  with  heavy,  flagging  flight  straight 
to  the  next  slough,  where  also  it  took  its  station  on  the  highest  avail- 
able perch.  This  fairly  represents  the  action  of  all  that  I  have  noticed ; 
they  are  very  shy  and  frequent  the  trees  in  the  neighborhood  of  swampy 
places. 

Common  in  spring ;  abundant  in  antnmn.  Sometimes  very  early  in  the  morning, 
particularly  if  the  weather  should  be  cold  and  raiaty,  I  have  seen  a  dozen  or  more 
of  these  hawks  atone  time  sittiug  about  ou  the  fence-poHts  or  ou  the  broken  ground 
ii)  the  most  listless,  dejected-looking  manner  possible.  Having  very  seldom  found 
anything  in  the  stomachs  of  these  birds,  I  fancy  it  is  "  a  long  time  between  meals" 
with  them.    (Na&^,  in  MSS.). 

114.  Arohibuteo  ferrugineuB.    Ferruginous  Rough-leg. 

Probably  Manitoban;  Pembina  Mountain  at  the  boundary ;  breeding; 
early  in  July,  1873  (Cones).  I  have  seen  a  specimen  that  was  taken 
immediately  to  the  west  of  the  province  (Thompson). 

115.  Aquila  ohrysaetos.    Golden  Eagle. 

Very  rare;  possibly  resident.  Winnipeg:  Bare;  apparently  resident 
(Hine).  Bed  River  Valley :  Very  rare  (Hunter).  Portage  la  Prairie : 
1884,  very  scarce;  not  seen    v  me  (Nash).    Big  Plain  (Thompson). 

116.  HalineStus  leuoooephalua.    Bald,  or  White-headed  Eagle. 

Very  rare  summer  visitant;  probably  breeding;  frequent  on  Red 
River  from  Minehead  to  Pembina ;  several  nests  noticed  (Cones).  James 
Falls,  Winnipeg  River;  eagles  (Bind).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident; 
tolerably  common;  April  to  October  1(  Hine).  Bare;  "reported  to  be  fre- 
quently seen  on  Lake  li^anitoba"  (Nash).  Mouth  of  Waterhen  River,  a 
pair;  one  at  Cathead,  Lake  Winnipeg  (Hind).    Common  between  lati- 


534 


THE   BIRDS   OF    MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


tude  62°  and  Lake  Superior;  at  Cumberland  House  March  24  (Richard 
son).    Qii'Appelle:  Occasional;  does  not  breed;  April  30  (Guernsey). 

The  country  west  of  tbo  Ouinipique  Lake  has  dry  islands  or  hills  with  marshy  bot- 
toms full  of  wood  aud  meadows.  On  the  east  side  is  a  fine  tlat  country  full  of  woods 
nutil  they  come  to  the  bottom  of  the  mountains  which  are  betwixt  this  and  tbr 
upper  lake.  On  a  lake  on  that  side,  betwixt  this  lake  and  Lake  Du  liois,  are  the 
Migechichilinioua,  or  Eagle-eyed  Indians;  these,  be  says,  are  not  called  so  from  their 
having  a  sharp  sight,  but  upon  account  of  many  eagles,  which  breed  in  islands  of  that 
lake.    (Dobbs,  p.  35.) 

On  an  island  near  the  mouth  of  the  Waterhen  River.  •  *  •  We  found  a  pair 
of  White-headed  Eagles  engaged  in  fishiug,  and  as  we  came  suddenly  upon  them 
after  rounding  a  point,  one  of  tli'un  dropped  a  fine  whiteHsh  he  had  just  caught, 
which  was  immediately  seiicod  aud  appropriated  by  our  men  fo>  their  own  breakfaHf. 

On  Septembers,  near  Cathead  Lake,  Winnipeg,  the  party  was  reduced  to  great 
straits  for  provisions,  when  oue  chanced  to  shoot  un  old  bald  eagle.  By  eating  nearly 
every  portion  of  the  animal,  exceitt  the  feathers,  we  managed  to  make  him  serve  for 
two  or  three  meals.)    Hind.  18.'>8). 

Rare.  On  the  21st  of  March,  1885,  Mr.  T.  A.  Newman,  of  Portage  la  Prairie,  showed 
me  the  wings  of  three  of  these  birds  that  he  had  bought  from  an  Indian,  who  said 
he  had  shot  i.heni  south  of  the  Assiniboine  River.  Mr.  Newman  also  told  me  he  hud 
a  year  or  two  before  shot  one  in  full  plumage  on  Lake  Manitoba. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  188U,  I  saw  a  splendid  bird  in  full  jtlumage  dying  south- 
ward just  over  the  trees  ou  the  bank  of  the  Red  River.     (Nash,  in  MS8. ) 

117.  Falco  ruBticolus  obsoletus     Black  Gyrfalcon. 

Probably  Manitoban  in  winter.  lias  been  taken  in  Minnesota  a  few 
times  as  a  rare  winter  visitant ;  a  specimen  examined  by  Mr.  Kidgway 
(Cooke).  The  inference  from  Ilearue's  narrative  is  that  he  also  took 
this  bird  at  Cumberland  House,  and  if  so  it  was  probably  of  the  same 
variety  as  those  taken  in  Minnesota.  Mr.  Nash  also  reports  seeing  a 
supposed  specimen  fly  over  Portage  la  I'rairie.  This  bird  seems  to 
follow  the  Willow  Ptarmigan  in  winter;  hence  wo  would  expect  to  find 
their  southern  ranges  coincide. 

They,  like  the  other  large  species  of  hawks,  prey  much  on  the  white  grouse  or 
partridge,  and  also  on  the  American  Hare,  usually  called  here  rabbits.  They  are 
always  found  to  fre<|iient  those  parts  where  partridges  are  plentiful,  and  are  detested 
by  the  sportsmen,  as  they  generally  drive  all  the  game  off  the  ground  near  theii 
tents;  but,  in  return,  they  ofti-n  drive  thither  fresh  flocks  of  some  hundreds.  Not- 
withstanding tills,  they  so  frequeutiy  balk  those  who  are  employed  on  hunting  serv- 
ice that  the  governors  generally  give  a  veward  of  a  quart  of  brandy  for  each  of 
their  heads.  Their  flesh  is  ahvayn  eaten  by  the  Indians,  and  sometimes  by  the  En- 
glish ;  but  it  is  always  black,  hard,  and  tungh,  aud  sometimes  has  a  bitter  taste. 

The  Indians  are  fond  of  taming  these  birds,  and  fre<|nently  keep  them  the  whole 
summer  ;  but  as  the  winter  a])proaches  they  generally  take  flight  and  (irovide  for 
themselves.  When  at  Cumberland  House  I  ha<l  one  of  them,  of  which  my  people 
were  remarkably  fond,  and  as  it  never  wanted  for  food  would  in  all  probability  hav< 
r  uained  with  us  all  the  winter,  bad  it  nut  beeu  killed  by  an  Indian  who  did  not 
know  it  to  be  tame.     ( Heurne. ) 

The  following  from  Hutchins  seems  to  refer  to  this  species: 

It  apitears  in  those  parti  in  the  month  of  May,  builds  a  nest  with  small  sticks, 
feathers,  and  down,  t!.e  two  last  plucked  from  its  broast  and  lines   the  nest.     It 


Vlil,.  XI 
1800. 


"•] 


PKOCEEDINQS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


635 


cbooaes  a  lofty  tree  for  its  residence.  The  yoiiug  brood  are  darker  than  the  parents ; 
they  are  commonly  hatched  about  the  latter  eud  of  .July ;  it  resorts  to  the  plains  anu 
marshes.  It  is  perpetually  on  the  wing,  skimming  along  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
and  preys  on  small  birds,  plover,  and  ducks.  (Hutchins  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hud- 
son Bay,  1872.) 

Falco  peregrinuB  anatum.    Peregrine  Falcon.    Duck  Hawk,  or  Bullet  Hawk. 

Much  like  the  goshawk  iu  movemeDts  and  distribution ;  probably 
breeds  in  the  neighborhood  of  large  lakes.  Winnipeg :  Summer  resi- 
dent; tolerably  common  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie;  1884,  rare;  saw 
two  January  1,  1885  (Nash).  Carberry :  Common  in  the  late  summer 
iind  early  fall ;  Boggy  Creek,  near  Cot6'a,  October  (Thompson).  Two 
Rivers:  Bullet  Hawk  first  seen,  oue,  on  April  4  (Criddle).  Shot  one  at 
Cote's  Reserve  on  the  Assiniboine,  September  22,  1880 ;  I  first  watched 
it  pursue  and  capture  a  Prairie  Chicken  (Macoun).  Trout  Lake  Station 
and  Severn  House  (Murray). 

On  August  11,  1882,  about  lU  in  the  morning,  we  had  to  drive  away 
two  Peregrine  Falcons  that  were  raiding  in  our  poultry  yard.  In  the 
afternoon  they  returned,  and  one  of  them  made  a  most  determined 
effort  to  secure  a  hen,  despite  two  shots  fired  at  him.  However,  he  es- 
caped unhurt  after  the  second  discharge.  He  did  not  stoop  from  aloft, 
but  skimmed  low  over  the  ground  in  making  his  attack. 

September  0,  1882.  While  standing  behind  the  stable  to  day  I 
beard  the  turkey  give  warning,  and  immediately  there  was  a  whizz  and 
ii  gray  streak  past  me  in  the  air;  the  poultry  screamed  and  scattered, 
and  I  whistled  and  shouted  just  in  time  to  turn  the  stoop  of  a  Pere- 
grine. Again  and  again  he  dashed  down  and  was  with  difficulty 
balked,  and  only  by  the  time  a  gun  was  procured  did  he  finally  make 
ofi*.  Two  days  before  I  had  found  a  hen  with  her  head  bearing  three 
deep  gashes,  and  I  doubt  not  they  were  received  from  the  claws  of  oue 
of  these  marauders,  though  how  many  of  our  poultry  they  really  took  I 
can  not  say.  1  never  saw  any  I'ctually  taken,  and  we  never  knew  the 
exact  census  of  the  barnyard,  so  do  not  know  how  many,  if  any,  disap 
peared. 

On  the  morning  of  September  18, 1  saw  a  Peregrine  sitting  on  the 
feiice,  but  he  flew  l)efore  I  could  get  a  shot  at  him  and  circled  away 
above  the  barn,  increasing  his  elevation  at  each  gyre  until  about  at  the 
third  wheel,  when  at  a  height  of  200  or  300  feet  he  suddenly  stopped, 
half  closed  his  wings,  and  dived  headlong  into  a  field  half  u  mile  away. 
His  descent  was  at  least  as  rapid  as  the  fall  of  a  stone  would  have 
been,  and  as  he  swooped  his  wings  were  slightly  and  slowly  expanded 
and  closed  again  a  nuinl>er  of  times.  What  his  victim  was  I  never  knew. 

On  July  20,  1884,  secured  a  Peregrine  in  first  plumage.  This  was 
Mhot  by  Mr.  Cordon  Wright,  near  Carberry,  and  sent  to  me.  He  de- 
scribed it  as  the  ''  swift  gray  hawk ; "  it  was  raiding  in  his  poultry  yard, 
when  he  ran  with  liis  gun  to  the  rescue  and  rapidly  fired,  but  the 
swiftness  of  the  bandit  savt^d  him  each  time  for  four  shots,  and  he 


t' 


;^[ 


If 


536 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


fiercely  and  determinedly  contiDued  to  dash  around  the  buildings  in 
pursuit  of  the  fowls,  when  a  fifth  shot  grazed  his  win^  and  brought  him 
down.  He  is  the  very  personification  of  fierceness  aud  defiance,  and 
his  actions  are  full  of  snap.  As  soon  as  approached  he  hissed,  and 
struck  with  his  great  talons  so  quickly  that  the  eye  could  not  follow 
the  movement.  I  put  him  in  a  building  along  with  a  Swainson's  Buz 
zard  and  a  crane,  and,  oh !  how  clumsy  and  vulgar  they  both  looked 
beside  him.  He  is  the  royalest  robber  that  ever  I  saw.  His  every  mo- 
tion is  so  full  of  nntanaable  ferocity  as  to  elude  the  eye ;  his  eye  is 
brighter  and  fiercer  thau  an  eagle's,  but  I  am  in  hopes  that  with  care  I 
tnay  succeed  in  taming  him.  August  2 :  Notwithstanding  the  gentlest 
treatment,  the  Peregrine  continued  to  scorn  all  approaches,  and  the 
slightest  attempt  to  touch  him  called  forth  in  response  only  tho  dim 
flash  of  hi;9  massive  horn-tipped  feet,  a  fair  warning  of  what  may  be 
expected  should  the  liberty  of  handling  be  attempted.  On  enteriiig 
in  the  morning,  I  found  him  sitting  on  the  body  of  the  crane;  it  is  not 
certain  that  he  was  the  murderer,  but  it  is  against  him,  that  having  left 
him  undisturbed  for  an  hour  immediately  afterward  he  made  use  of  the 
time  to  devour  the  greater  part  of  the  crane's  breast  on  one  side,  and 
that  he  and  the  buzzard  subsequently  picked  the  bones  clean.  August 
12 :  The  Peregrine  died  to-day,  after  a  captivity  of  three  weeks,  no 
cause  being  assigned  for  his  death.  He  was  a  young  male  of  the  year, 
I  think.  Besides  the  hissing  menace  already  mentioned,  he  indulged 
in  two  other  vocal  efforts ;  one  an  exceedingly  loud,  piercing  scream  of 
anger,  the  other  a  reiterated  sl'rieking,  almost  exactly  like  that  of  the 
kestrel,  but  stronger  and  in  a  deeper  ke3% 

Pay-pay  nay  seu  Ka  cake.  •  •  *  They  appear  inonr  inarabeN  in  tbe  beginning 
of  June,  and  hooii  after  make  thoirnestH  in  trees.  It  Ih  com])uae(l  of  sticks  and  lined 
with  feathers.  They  lay  three  or  four  white  eggs.  The  young  ttnes  take  flight  in 
August,  and  the  whole  species  leave  us  in  September  or  the  tirst  week  in  October. 
They  sonietiniex  kill  geese,  hut  their  usual  food  is  ducks,  plovers,  partridges,  and 
small  birds.     (Hutuhins  MSS.,  ObservafionH  on  Hudson  Bay,  1782.) 

On  September  11,  lc:<8l<,  atCurberry,about  4  p.  ui.,  a  line  Peregrine  came  and  sat  on 
a  fence  close  to  tbe  houst).  Just  as  I  was  about  to  tire  at  liim  with  the  ritle  he  rose 
aud  flow  close  over  my  head  aud  around  lue.  Then,  after  whisking overthechickens 
and  putting  tbcm  into  a  rare  fright, !  e  hovered  for  nearly  a  minute  at  about  40  feet 
above  tbe  ground  as  well  ns  ever  I  si.w  a  kestrel  do,  which  aurprised  me.  So  sta- 
tionary was  he  that  I  thought  I  might  as  well  Are,  as  I  had  as  good  a  cbance  of  hit- 
ting biut  a«  on  tt  feure.     I  did  so,  but  of  course  missed  him.     (Christy,  in  MSS.) 

119.  Faloo  oolumbarluB.    Pigeon  Hawk. 

Chiefly  in  the  migration  ;  coininoii.  Dufferin  :  Arrived  before  April 
15  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Iline). 
OsHowa:  1885,  April  18;  common  April  23  (Wjigner).  Norway  House 
(Bell).  Common  fall  migrant  at  Carberry ;  noted  also  north  of  Petrel 
(Thompson).  One  shot  at  Livingston,  September  I'J,  1881 ;  common  in 
Wiunei)egosi8  regions,  breeding  in  th  >  Assiniboine  Valley,  at  Brandon, 


VOL.  xni.1 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


637 


and  along  the  Qu'Appelle  Valley  (Macoun).  Qa'Appelle:  Tolerably 
commou ;  arrives  April  20  (Guernsey). 

On  September  9, 1883,  a  flock  of  five  or  six  IMgeon  Hawks  came 
about  the  farm  buildings.  lu  general  manners  they  were  much  like 
Sparrow  Hawks,  but  they  sailed  more  and  flapped  less.  They  were  of 
course  larger,  rnd  seemed  more  stoutly  built ;  their  duller  color  also 
was  a  distinguishing  mark. 

One  trick  of  flight  they  had  in  common  with  the  Whisky  John,  Shrike 
and  others,  namely,  flying  low  over  the  ground  towards  a  pos*  or  stump, 
and  just  as  one  expects  to  see  them  strike  the  bottom  of  it  there  is  a 
sudden  spreading  of  tail  and  wing,  and  the  bird  gracefully  bounds 
straight  up  to  the  top  and  alights  there.  This  species  will  sometimes 
hover,  though  they  do  not  make  such  a  practice  of  it  as  the  Sparrow 
Hawks.  This  maneuver  I  have  also  observed,  though  in  a  still  less  de- 
p;ree,  in  the  Peregrine.  One  collected  was  a  female ;  length  12,  extent 
25.  All  above  was  dark  brownish  gray;  all  below,  buff  heavily 
streaked.  Wings  and  tail  show  but  few  marks  above;  below  are  spot- 
ted with  buff;  in  crop,  a  sparrow;  in  stomach,  another.  This  band 
may  have  been  a  single  family  returning  from  their  breeding  place  in 
the  wooded  mountains  to  the  east. 

120.  Faloo  riohardaonii.    Richardson'M  Merliu. 

Very  rare.  One  taken  at  headwaters  of  Mouse  Kivei',  Dakota,  near 
tlie  boundary  (Cones).  Shot  at  Fort  Pelly  in  September,  1881  (Ma- 
coun). 

121.  Faloo  sparverlus.    American  Sparrow  Hawk.  ■ 

Abundant  summer  resident ;  very  abundant  from  Pembina  along  the 
boundary  to  the  Rockies  (Coues).  One  from  between  Hudson's  Bay 
and  Lake  Winnipeg ;  one  individual  at  Bed  River  settlement  on  22d 
April,  in  1859  (Blakistoii).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably 
commou  (Hine).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  April  20;  1885,  tirst  seen, 
one,  on  April  15;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  1884,  abundant  summer  resident;  tirst  appearance  April  26, 
departing  in  October  (Nash).  Carberry :  Abundant  summer  resident 
wherever  there  is  large  timber  (Thompson).  Very  commou;  breeding 
along  Red  Deer,  Swan,  and  Assiniboine  Rivers ;  throughout  the  Winne- 
pcgosis  region  and  in  the  various  streams  atid  valleys  of  the  Northwest 
visited  in  188(>  (Macoun).  Shell  River:  1885,  tirst  seen,  one  male,  on 
April  14;  a  transient  visitant  only  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common; 
Nummer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  April  15  (Guernsey). 

On  July  20,  1884,  while  traversing  the  Carberry  Swamp,  I  heard  the 
loud,  reiterated  screeching  of  the  kestrel,  and  on  looking  upwards 
saw  one  of  these  audacious  birds  following  and  dashing  around  tin 
t'ligle,  and  endeavoring  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  intimate  to  the 
lutter  that  his  life  was  in  imminent  jeopardy — that,  indeed,  it  was  not 
worth  a  moment's  purchase  unless  he  instantly  lett  the  neighborhood 


r 


if 


,1 
'I 


538 


THE    lUKD.S    OF    MANITOBA THOMPSON. 


of  his  (the  kestrel's)  nest.  When  last  1  sa  j  them  over  the  trees,  the 
eagle  had  apparently  accepted  the  terms,  and  the  kestrel  was  plying 
him  with  sundry  sayings  and  maxims  while  he  saw  him  sa^'oily  out  of 
his  neighborhood. 

In  August  thtiy  gather  into  small  parties  and  hover  about  over  the  prairie,  feeding 
principally  on  grasshoppers,  though  they  are  (juitu  cii|)ableot°  capturing  better  game. 
On  two  ouciiiiions  I  have  seen  tiieiu  kill  and  curry  ritl'  nieudow  larks;  these  I  shot  in 
the  act.  Another  time  I  found  the  remains  of  a  red  squirrel  and  a  purple  tiuch  in 
the  stomach  of  one,  but  the  most  extraordinary  feat  I  ever  saw  one  attempt  was  its 
attack  on  a  crow.  The  hawk  struck  viciously  at  the  crow,  knocking  hiu)  down  into 
the  road  just  in  front  of  my  houhe  ;  the  hawk  diopped  on  the  fence  just  over  his  in 
tended  victim,  and  sat  there  while  the  poor  crow  squatted  close  to  the  ground  with 
his  wings  and  tail  spread  out  and  mouth  wide  open  looking  the  picture  of  terror.  1 
had  pulled  up  to  watch  the  outcome  of  the  performance,  but  unfortunately  my  horse 
moved  and  attracted  the  attention  of  the  parties  to  the  duel  and  they  both  Hew  otl 
in  opposite  directions.  The  hawk  could  hardly  have  been  driven  to  this  bold  act  by 
hunger  as  it  was  late  in  the  spring  and  there  were  numbers  of  small  birds  about. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  A'igust  31, 1  saw  a  party  of  tive  or  six  of  these  hawks  and 
a  single  Sharp-shin  enjoying  a  ngnlar  romp  around  a  deserted  liouse  on  the  prairie. 
They  chased  and  dodged  each  other  round  and  round  the  building,  settling  when 
tired  on  the  roof  and  chimneys.  The  Sharp-shin  took  his  turn  with  the  rest  in 
chasing  and  being  chased,  the  whole  game  apparently  being  carried  on  in  the  moht 
friendly  spirit  by  all  parties.  I  watched  them  for  over  half  an  hour  and  left  them 
still  at  it.    v^^ish,  iuMSS.) 

At  Carberry  on  Sei»tember  7,  I8rt;} :  In  the  morning  I  found  a  considerable  assembly 
of  AmericiUi  kestrds  (T.  s^^tirrerius)  round  a  small  duster  of  aspens  about  a  mile 
north.  I  several  times  saw  one  of  them  chasing  meadow  larks,  but  with  no  success, 
apparently.  At  one  lime  I  got  into  quite  a  flock  of  them,  twenty-five  or  thirty  at 
least,  ant'  shot  three,  one  tine  idd  one,  male,  and  two  young  ones  both  of  which  hail 
only  grasshopjiers  in  their  giz/tirds.  All  day  they  were  rouixl  the  house  hovering 
and  chattering  just  like  the  English  kestrel,  and  sitting  on  posts  and  building  quite 
tamely.  I  ran  out  of  ainmnnition  or  could  have  shot  lots,  so  tame  and  nnmeroiis 
were  they.  They  must  have  some  migration  on  haiul  as  I  hav(«  never  before  seen 
them  BO  numerous,  though  sometimes  I  have  seen  siiigl't  i<nes  around  the  house.  ' 
*  *  Septembers.  Kestrels  are  still  about,  but  not  in  such  large  numbers.  I  shot 
another  nice  old  male  with  plenty  of  grasshoppers  and  other  insects  in  his  gizzard. 
September  10.  Kestrels  are  still  fairly  numerous  about  the  premises  and  one  was  in 
the  garden  catching  grasshoppers  among  the  potatoes  a  good  many  times  during  the 
day.    (Christy,  in  MSS.) 

122.  Pandlon  baliaetus  oarolinenBis.    American  Osprey,  or  Fish  Hawk. 

Kare  summer  resident;  James  Falls,  Winnipeg  Kiver  (Hind, :  Win 
nipog:  Summer  resident;  rare;  Shoal  Lake  (Iline).  Red  River  Val- 
ley: Summerresidentj rare(IInnter).  Common, nestsalongtheChiirchill 
and  Grass  Rivers  (Bell  1880).  Very  rare;  one  seen  over  the  Assiniboinc 
JJiv.^r  at  Portage  hi  Prairie,  on  May  11,  1885  (Nash).  Saw  it  on  the 
iak'vs  V'lii  d  Porcujiine  Mountain,  tind  in  tlie  Winnepegosis  region; 
saw  nc-(  i'l  a  iii'e  on  a  rocky  point  (Wilkin's)  Lake  Winnepegosis 
(Mooou'O.  Shell  lliver:  1885;  i'*  a  common  summer  resident  and  breeds 
hi'.'ej  iVi,t  BiMn  April4;  .ilYer^  ards  seen  everyday  (Calcutt).  Oct^a 
sio  .»!  ,iiiirj<ir  esiov  ".it  at  Qn'Appelle  {(iiieinsey).  Only  observed  once 
or  ,  Alcfl  ";»>t»veeii  Norwuy  li.dise  tind  Carleton)  (HIakiston). 


vol,.  Xlll,"| 
181M).     J 


PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE    NATIONAL    MUSEUM. 


539 


123.  Asio  vrilsonianus.    American  Long-eared  OwL 

Tolerably  uommon  summer  resident.  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident ; 
tolerably  common;  arrives  April  1,  departs  November  1  (Hine).  Sol- 
itary ;  hunts  at  night ;  Red  River  region  (D.  Gunn).  Has  been  seen 
in  the  wooded  country  east  of  Winnipeg,  during  February  (Hunter). 
"Screech  Owl,"  Ossowa  (Wagu  r).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Rare  summer 
resident  in  this  locality;  near  Winnipeg  only  five  shot  in  six  years 
(Nash).  Carberry:  Summer  resident;  not  rare;  breeding  (Thompson). 
Two  Si>ecimen8  procured  at  Port  Pelly,  September  16,  1881,  and  one  at 
Birtle,  October,  1881  (Macoun). 

On  July  10, 1884,  found  a  nest  of  the  Long-eared  Owl  in  the  middle 
of  a  dense  bush  of  low  red  willows.  It  was  not  more  than  9  feet  from 
tlie  g-ound  and  yet  very  difficult  of  access,  for  the  willow  branches 
were  too  slender  to  bear  my  weight,  and  as  tlsej  chanced  also  to  be 
oi"  dead  wood  they  could  not  be  bent  down  without  endangering  the 
nest.  Therefore,  to  make  close  observations,  I  lifte<l  a  small  boy  on 
my  shoulders,  so  that  he  was  able  to  reach  and  hand  me  the  contents 
of  the  nest. 

The  nest  itself  was  composed  entirely  of  sticks  and  was  much  like 
that  of  a  hawk.  It  was  not  the  old  nest  of  a  crow,  or  of  any  other  bird 
tliat  commonly  builds  with  sticks,  so  that  I  am  satisfied  that  it  was  the 
owl's  own  work.  At  this  time  it  contained  four  young  ones,  and  these 
were  evidently  of  four  different  ages,  one  being  half-grown  and  nearly 
Hedged ;  another  seemed  to  be  only  two  or  three  days  old,  for  it  was  yet  a 
tiny  ball  of  white  down  that  the  elder  one  might  easily  have  swallowed. 
The  others  were  in  different  stages  between  these.  Each  of  the  nest- 
lings as  it  was  handled  snapped  its  bill  with  vigor  proportioned  to  its 
size.  The  mother  bird  had  appeared  soon  after  we  arrived,  and 
although  it  was  a  bright  summer  day,  she  did  not  seem  to  I  c  at  all  incon- 
venienced by  the  light,  but  flew  around  us  with  all  the  assurance  of  a 
bird  that  is  usually  diurnal. 

When  we  approached  the  nest  she  became  much  excitod  and  either 
flew  round  and  round  us  or  alighted  close  over  our  heads,  and  snapped 
her  bill  loudly  and  often,  while  from  time  to  time  she  uttered  a  loud 
h)ng  cry  like  ^^on-il-ilil-Uilil-looJ'^ 

Having  completed  my  examination  I  left  her  in  peace,  intending  to 
return  again  in  a  few  days  to  note  the  growth  of  the  birds;  but  som* 
one  came  before  me,  and  when  next  I  went  the  nest  was  empty. 

On  the  night  of  August  25  1  heard  a  strange  shrieking,  between  the 
cry  of  a  fox  and  a  cat.  It  seemed  to  come  from  the  barn  where  my 
Horned  Owls  were  confined.  I  took  my  gun  and  went  out.  After  wait- 
ing and  watching  for  som)  minutes  I  made  out  the  form  of  a  large 
broad-winged  bird,  flying  around  the  building  and  uttering  the  wild 
Hound  I  had  noted,  in  response  to  the  (iiieruior.s  notes  of  the  owls 
within.    When  I  mimicked  its  note  it  flew  over  me,  and  was  at  once 


540 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


n 


"  collected."  It  proved  a  Long-eared  Owl.  The  long  note  that  I  heard 
from  this  owl  is  decidedly  musical,  but  the  cries  heard  at  this  time 
may  be  best  described  as  unpleasant  shrieks. 

Amisk-oho  or  Long-earod  Owl  of  Pennant.  This  species  is  fonnd,  though  not  fre- 
quently, at  Severn  Settlement.  *  »  •  They  inhabit  the  woods  at  all  s  -asons,  iv 
considerable  distance  from  the  sea ;  seldom  to  be  found  within  the  day,  but  in  the 
night  approach,  when  a  clamorous  noise  proceeds  from  tents.  They  breed  in  trees, 
lay  four  white  eggs  of  an  elliptical  form  in  April,  and  their  young  fly  iu  the  latter 
end  of  May.  N.  B. — This  bird  is  local.  (Hutchius  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hudson 
Bay,  1782.) 

Have  never  seen  them  in  the  winter.  They  always  disappeared  at  about  the  time 
the  first  snow  fell,  with  the  short-eared  species.  Their  flight  when  hunting  durin<r 
the  day  always  reminded  me  of  the  harrier,  which  it  closely  resembles.  (Nash,  in 
MSS.)' 

124.  Asio  aocipittinuB.    Short-eared  Owl.    Marsh  Owl. 

Tolerably  common,  chiefly  in  early  autumn;  probably  breeding. 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  tolerably  common  ;  arrives  April  1,  de- 
parts November  1  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Abundant  summer 
resident;  most  often  seen  in  the  fall,  especially  about  the  marshes  iu 
August  and  September;  never  seen  in  winter;  arrives  early  in  April, 
departs  late  in  October  (Nash).  Carberry :  Not  uncommon  in  August 
and  September  (Thompson).  Brandon :  April  18,  1882  (Wood). 
Abundant  on  West-srn  Plain,  1880;  two  specimens  procured  on  Assini- 
boine  River  below  Shell  River,  September  24,  1881  (MacounV  Trout 
Lake  Station  (Muiray). 

August  18, 1883.  During  the  month  we  have  often  see.i  owls  that 
appear  just  about  dusk  and  winnow  over  the  prairie  to  the  west  of  the 
house;  now  high  and  sharp  against  the  last  bright  streak  of  day;  now 
down,  to  remain  lost  against  the  dark  earth ;  and  if  again  rising  after 
some  time  from  that  same  place,  we  know  that  pounce  brought  death 
and  burial  to  some  foragiiig  field-mouse  or  dissipated  small  songster. 
I  snspeot  that  this  species  is  either  tbo  Long-eared  or  Short  eared  Owl. 
This  evening  one  of  these  mouse-hunters  came  careering  about  the 
barns  with  evident  intut  to  dabb'e  bis  very  soul  in  arvicoline  gore. 
Mr.  Christy's  gun  was  ready  and  he  had  one  snap  shot,  but  the  owl 
flew  off  to  the  northwest  over  the  grain  field,  but  lower  we  thought  as 
he  disappeared.  Night  and  a  rainstorm  came  together  and  prevented 
our  following. 

August  19.  A  heavy  rainstorm  all  day. 

AugUMt  20.  This  morning  the  rain  ceased.  About  10  o'clock  we  went 
out  in  the  direction  of  the  owl's  course.  We  had  almost  persuaded  our- 
selves that  we  saw  the  bird  go  down  by  an  old  strawstack  far  out  in 
the  field;  so  on  the  mere  chance  we  went  to  this  place,  and  almost  im- 
medirttfl^  up  sprang  the  owl,  but  at  once  he  was  "collected"  by  the 
aid  of  the  ready  double  barreled,  and  then'  he  lay  on  the  grass,  a  beau- 
tiful specimen  of  the  Short  eared  Owl.  His  plumage  was  in  perfect 
onler  and  his  horns  wore  remarkably  prominent;  thi."*,  however,  was  lost 


vol..  XllI.T 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


541 


after  he  had  been  handled.  The  curious  oircumstaQce  of  this  incideut 
is  the  owl's  persistently  retnaiiiing  during  a  forty-hours  rainstorm  on 
this  bare  open  place  while  powers  of  flight  were  unimpaired,  and  his 
only  injuries  apparently  a  slight  flesh  wound  on  the  wing.  I  have  noted 
several  similar  instances  among  bawks  and  owls. 

Tliis  specimen  was:  Length,  14^;  weight,  10  ounces;  wing  surface, 
162  square  inches,  or  16]^  to  each  ounce  of  weight.  In  its  stomach  was 
a  single  large  brown  cricket  ( Udeopaylla  nigra),  no  doubt  captured  on 
the  ground  where  we  found  him. 

Th9  sbort-eared  owl  is  a  great  f  rieud  of  mine ;  he  tarns  up  regularly  every  August 
and  September  in  the  marshes  and  meadows  both  in  Ontario  and  Manitoba,  but  I  have 
never  seen  them  in  the  spring  or  summer,  and  as  I  spend  most  of  my  lime  during  the 
yoar  in  their  favorite  haunts,  and  never  see  them  nesting  or  about,  am  strongly  in- 
clined to  think  they  do  not  breed  in  the  province,  nor  do  they  stay  during  the  winter. 

On  the  18th  of  April,  1885,  at  sunset,  a  large  number  of  those  birds  came  out  of  the 
marsh  and  quartered  about  over  the  prairie.  One  of  them,  however,  after  a  time 
roue  high  in  the  air  and  played  about  over  a  slough  much  after  the  manner  of  a  Night 
Hawk.  I  believe  it  was  catching  on  the  wing  some  of  the  aquutic  beetles  that  were 
rising  from  the  water  at  the  time. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  April  one  of  these  owls  circled  round  my  blind 
for  some  time,  frequently  striking  its  wings  together  over  its  back,  producing  a  loud 
suapping  noise.  The  same  bird  several  times  perched  on  a  fence  rail  near  me,  this 
being  the  only  time  I  ever  saw  mio  alight  on  anything  higher  than  a  muskrat  house 
or  a  log  imbedded  in  the  mud.    (Nash's  MSS.) 

125.  Syrnium  nebulosum.    Barred  Owl. 

Rare  and  probably  migratory.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  rare; 
arrives  April  I ;  departs  November  1  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley:  Tol- 
erably common  in  the  wooded  country  east  of  Winnipeg,  where  it  has 
also  been  seen  in  February  (Hunter).  Was  shown  the  wings  of  one  shot 
near  Rat  Portage  in  the  fall  of  1886  (Thompson).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Very  rare,  only  one  seen  near  the  Assiniboine,  but  I  have  occasionally 
heard  them  hooting  in  the  woods  on  the  bank  of  the  river  in  August 
(Nash). 

126.  niula  cinerea.    Great  Gray  Owl. 

Rare  winter  visitant;  one  in  Smithsonian  Institution  from  Red  River 
Settlement  (Blakinton).  Found  along  Red  River  and  at  Lake  Winnipeg 
as  a  winter  visitant,  but  not  common  (Hine).  Oarberry:  One  taken 
September  29,  1884  (Thompson). 

On  September  21),  1884,  receivetl  from  George  Mersham  a  fine  Gray 
Owl  which  he  had  shot  in  tho  woo(ln  to  the  south.  It  was  a  young  male ; 
length  25,  extension  54;  weight,  20  ounces;  wing  surface,  480  square 
inches,  i.  e.,  18  j'^  to  each  ounce  of  weight,  nearly  twice  that  of  the 
turkey  vulture  "shot  yestertlay ;  tail  surface  100  square  inches.  In  a  re- 
mote corner  of  its  spacious  stomach  I  discoveretl  a  tiny  shrew  (Sorex 
cooperi  f)  and  the  rest  of  this  capacious  receptacle  was  unoccupied. 


;;{,    'I 


542 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


127.  Nyctala  tengmalmi  richardsoui.    Richardson's  Owl. 

In  the  wooded  sectious  probably  resident.  Winnipeg:  Winter  visitant; 
tolerably  common;  probably  resident  (Hine).  Selkirk  Settlement  in 
February  and  March  (D.  Gunn).  Two  Rivers :  On  February  7, 1885, 
shot  a  pair  of  Richardson's  Owls  (Criddle). 

On  June  11,  1883,  at  the  spruce  bush  I  found  the  remains  of  a  speci- 
men of  Richardson's  Owl.  This  was  shot  in  the  spring  by  one  of  the 
mill  hands  and  left  where  it  fell. 

February,  1885,  Toronto:  While  at  Winnipeg  last  month  Mr.  Hine 
showed  me  several  dozen  specimens  of  this  bird,  all  taken  near  the  city 
within  three  months. 

128.  Nyctala  acadica.    Saw- whet  Owl. 

Rare,  resident.  Noted  only  on  Red  River:  Rare;  probably  resident; 
only  two  seen  at  Winnipeg  up  to  1884  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley :  Resi- 
dent (Hunter). 

Shipo  me  shish :  Small  Owl.  This  is  the  smallost  owl  in  Hudson  By  nearly, 
corresponding  to  the  small  owl  of  Pennant.  It  weighs  4^-  ounces,  the  length  8i 
inches,  the  breadth  '20,  irides  bright  yellow ;  feet  and  legs  feathered,  and  talons  black. 
*  *  *  It  lives  among  the  pines  iu  all  scimk^us,  feeding  on  mice  ;  only  builds  a  nest 
of  grass  half  way  up  a  pine  tree  in  the  mouth  of  May,  lays  two  white  eggs,  and  the 
young  fly  in  the  beginning  of  July.  They  are  not  plenty  ami  are  the  most  solitary 
bird  I  ever  knew,  seldom  moving  in  the  daytime,  but  a  brisk  mouser  by  night.  They 
iMwer  change  color.  It  is  common  for  the  Indian  children  to  steal  toward  them  iu 
the  daytime  and  seize  them.     (Uutchius  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hudson  Ray,  17rt2.) 

Mr.  Hunter  cliiinis  the  Screech  Owl  {Megascops  asio)  for  Manitoba,  say- 
ing "  I  saw  a  pair  at  Saboskoug  Bay,  Lake  of  the  Woods,  and  in  1871 
heard  them  ai  S^oint  du  Cheue." 

129.  Bubo  virginianus  subarcticus.    Western  Horned  Owl. 

Common  resident  wherever  there  is  timber.  This  form  of  Bubo  is 
lighter  in  color  than  the  true  Bubo  rirginianus  subarcticus.  It  is  proba- 
bly just  intermediate  between  that  form  and  var.  arcticus.  Pembina: 
Breeding  (Coues).  WinniiH»g:  Common  resident  throughout  the  year 
(Hine).  Red  River  Valley :  Permanent  residtnt;  more  seen  in  winter 
(Hunter).  Swampy  Island:  1885;  common  resident;  breeds  near  here 
(Plunkett).  Observed  breeding  (Wagner).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Com- 
mon resident  but  somewhat  migratory  (Nash).  Carberry:  Common 
resident;  breeding;  Rat  Portage ;  Duck  Mountain ;  Assissipi  (Thomp- 
son). Two  Rivers,  November  12,1885  (Criddle).  Shell  River:  1HS5; 
winter  visitant  (Calcutt),  FortElUse:  October,  1880(Macoun).  Whit^e 
Sand  River:  May  5, 1887;  nesting  (Christy).  Qu'Appelle:  Occasional; 
not  common  (Guernsey). 

September  18,  1884,  Portage  la  Prairie  :  Mr.  C.  W.  Nas!i  gives  mo  a 
very  interesting  note  on  a  pair  of  Horned  Owls  that  h.ul  nested  in  the 
woods  here,  and    from  the   indications  observed  there  seems  little 


vol, 


,.  xni.n 

1890.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL    MUSEUM. 


543 


doubt  that  they  subsisted  chiefly  on  fish,  which  were  abuudant  in  a 
small  creek  runuing  from  a  lake  through  these  woods  to  the  Assiui- 
boine  River.  On  examining  the  gizzards  of  two  of  the  young  of  this 
prir  which  Mr.  Nash  shot,  he  found  them  full  of  fish.  At  one  place 
there  were,  unquestionably,  evidences  of  an  owl  having  seized  a  large 
fish  with  one  foot  and  held  on  to  the  bank  with  the  other.  The  creek 
being  very  small,  and  surrounded  with  large  bare  trees,  is  a  favorite 
run  between  the  river  and  the  lake  for  large  fish  at  night,  so  that  all 
the  circumstances  are  very  favorable  for  the  prosecution  of  the  pisca- 
torial pursuits  of  the  owls. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1884, 1  found  a  pair  of  these  birds  in  possession 
of  an  old  nest  in  the  Big  Swamp  on  the  Assiniboine  River,  south  of  the 
Big  Plain.  This  nest  ^7a8  about  30  feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  crotch 
of  a  poplar  tree,  which  was  as  yet  without  leaves.  The  nest  was 
formed  ol  sticks  and  twigs  and  was  mdistinguishable  from  that  ot  a 
Ked  tailed  Buzzard.  Once  or  twice  1  tried  to  shoot  the  old  bird  on  the 
nest,  but  she  was  too  wary,  and  evidently  had  all  her  wits  about  her 
even  in  the  day  time.  On  the  15th  of  the  month  I  returned  to  the  nest, 
determined  to  bring  home  whatever  might  be  in  it.  Arriving  at  the 
place  we  found  the  oUl  birds  were  absent,  so  I  stood  with  the  gun  to 
watch,  while  Dr.  Gilbert,  who  accompanied  me,  climbed  the  tree.  He 
liad  not  got  half  way  up  when  the  ohl  ones  made  their  appearance, 
skimming  about  among  the  tamaracs  and  hooting  "  t<?/t04cAo-are  yow." 
As  the  danger  to  their  brood  increased  they  came  nearer  and  nearer, 
shoutingand  stammering  with  rage  "«rA-o  loho  whoare  you  f"  "  Whatdo- 
youdof"  "  Up  a  trec.''^  Then,  having  learned  it  seemed,  from  their  close 
inspection,  the  magisterial  function  of  the  climber  they  wheeled  off, 
snapping  their  bills  and  groaning  aloud  '■'■Ohkh-h  J  P  up-atree!''^ 
And  stricken  by  the  hopelessness  of  their  case  in  this  new  aspect, 
they  dashed  about  shouting  hoarsely  "  0/t /t  A,"  "  Co  down,^^  ^^  Do  go 

do?r»,"  "  Ohhh ,"  and  as  one  of  them  recklessly  flew  close  to  me, 

I  fired  and  it  fell.  This  proved  to  bo  the  female ;  she  measured  *»3 
inches  across  the  wings  and  in  length  25  inches.  Her  stomach  con- 
tained part  of  a  partridge.  In  color  she  was  as  light  as  young  females 
of  the  Snowy  Owl.  In  the  nest  were  three  young  owls,  two  dead 
partridges  (fiona«a),  and  a  hare;  one  of  the  partridges  had  in  her  an 
egg  ready  for  exclusion,  excepting  that  the  shell  was  as  yet  pure  white 
without  any  spots. 

The  young  ones  appeared  to  be  about  three  weeks  old.  The  largest 
\\  eighed  1  pound  5  ounces,  and  was  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  pullet. 
One  of  them  was  but  half  as  large  as  the  others.  All  were  clad  in  white 
down,  with  the  rudiments  of  black  and  white  feathers  showing  in  the 
wings  and  on  the  back.  Their  horns  were  plainly  visible  in  the  form 
of  down  tnfts. 

They  resented  in  the  orthodox  manner  the  liberty  taken  in  removing 
them  from  the  nest,  snapping  their  bills  and  hissing  in  a  way  that 


544 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — ^THOMPSON. 


would  have  distinguished  much  older  birds;  but  as  they  did  not  attempt 
to  use  their  formidable  talons,  we  did  not  suffer  much  inconvenience 
from  their  menaces.  One  of  them  had  been  injured,  and  died  before 
we  reached  home,  the  others  throve  and  readily  ate  from  our  hands 
from  the  first.  They  solicited  food  by  a  short  scream  very  like  that  of 
a  Night  Hawk;  they  menaced  by  snapping  their  bills  and  hissing,  and 
expressed  surprise  and  anger  by  a  querulous  whistle. 

By  the  time  they  were  about  two  months  old  they  were  fully  fledged 
and  could  fly  fairly  well.  In  general  color  they  were  pale  buff  witli 
black  bars;  a  little  lighter  than  the  typical  Bubo  virginianuSt  but  cou* 
siderably  darker  than  the  mother.  At  this  time  the  hoins  were  less 
conspicuous  than  when  in  the  down. 

They  ejected  a  pellet  about  five  times  per  week,  and  if  supplied  with 
more  food  than  required  for  present  use  they  hid  it  until  they  were 
hungry. 

At  first  we  (Dr.  Gilbert  and  myself)  were  in  hopes  of  taming  them, 
but  their  ferocity  grew  with  their  growth,  and  when  they  were  able  to 
fly,  so  far  from  submitting  to  be  handled  it  was  not  safe  for  a  stranger 
to  come  near  them.  No  better  illustration  of  their  strength  and  fierce 
ness  could  be  given  than  the  fact  that,  on  one  occasion,  when  they  were 
left  without  food  for  a  longer  time  than  usual,  they  killed  and  ate  a  fine 
full-grown  Swainson's  Buzzard,  which  was  confined  in  the  same  barn 
with  themselves;  and  subsequently  they  did  the  same  with  another 
bird  of  the  same  species,  which  I  had  always  thought  strong  enough 
and  quick  enough  to  take  care  of  himself. 

At  the  age  of  10  weeks  a  perceptible  change  in  their  plumage  began 
to  take  place;  the  bufty  feathers  of  the  breast  gradually  giving  place  to 
the  pure  white  of  the  old  birds,  amounting  almost  to  a  transition  from 
the  B.  virginianus  form  to  that  of  the  B.  v.  arcticua. 

They  continued  to  grow  until  they  were  nearly  6  months  old.  Their 
appetites  were  large  and  very  fastidious,  for  they  would  eat  half  a 
pound  of  meat  per  day  each,  and  would  relish  only  such  as  was  per- 
fectly fresh. 

Towards  the  end  of  October  they  seemed  to  have  ceased  growing 
and  were  contented  with  smaller  rations;  their  horns  were  fully  devel- 
oped ;  they  had  made  their  first  attempt  at  hooting,  and  otherwise  mani- 
fested their  conviction  that  they  now  were  able-bodied  owls  on  their 
own  account. 

In  November  I  was  so  much  from  home  that  they  did  not  get  more 
than  3  meals  per  week,  and  it  was  useless  to  give  them  a  large  quantity 
of  food  at'  a  time,  as  it  froze  to  a  stony  hardness  in  a  few  minutes; 
therefore,  as  I  could  not  feed  them  properly,  I  thought  it  better  to  kill 
them.  When  the  first  was  quiuted,  he  proved  on  examination  to  be 
excessively  fat,  notwithstanding  his  mouth  on  short  allowance.  Under 
these  circumstances  sentence  on  No.  2  was  commuted.  However,  a 
storm  tore  open  his  bouse;  he  escaped,  but  continued  about  the  build- 


vor- 


..  XIII, I 
I8U0.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


545 


iiijjfs,  which  were  2  niilc'8  i'rom  the  woods.  After  n  month  of  this  life, 
(hirinjj;  wliich  ho  i'eceiv*;d  no  food  from  mo,  I  shot  und  found  him,  not 
starving  as  I  expected,  but  fully  as  fat  as  his  brother  had  been. 

My  ample  opportutiities  of  fully  observing  tliese  interesting  birds  iu 
ciii>tivity  as  well  as  in  a  state  of  freedom,  and  indeed  all  that  1  have 
seen  of  them — their  untamable  ferocity,  which  is  daily  more  apparent; 
tlieir  magnilicent  bearing;  their  objection  to  carrion,  and  strictly  carniv- 
orous tastes — would  make  me  rank  these  winged  tigers  among  the  most 
pronounced  and  savage  of  the  birds  of  prey. 

Natow  okcy  oiuis  sen:  Horned  Owl.  This  olcjjunt  I  ird  barboiH  iu  tho  woods,  ieed- 
iiig  on  luico,  wild  fowl,  and  carrion.  About  tbu  middle  of  Maruli  it  builds  u  uest  iu  a 
pino  tree,  with  a  few  sticks  laid  across,  and  lays  two  whitish  eygs;  the  young  ones 
take  to  the  wing  in  June.     (Hutchius  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hudson  Hay,  178^.) 

Oomuiou  resident;  but  I  am  satislied  this  bird  is  somewhat  migratory,  as  there  is 
always  for  sometime  iu  the  fall  a  large  increase  in  their  number ;  at  the  approach  of 
winter  they  become  less  nuiiieroiis.  1  noticed  this  every  season.  They  are  almost 
altiinilant  in  October  on  the  lied  liiver,  four  or  five  being  scu-n  by  me  nearly  every 
(lay ;  after  the  cold  weather  set  in  the  great  majority  of  them  disappeared. 

Thoy  vary  much  iu  pluiuage,  ranging  from  very  dark  to  extremely  light-colored 
8i)ociii;ens ;  two  young  birds  I  shot  August  '.•,  Iri""  I,  bijing  the  two  palest  I  have  ever 
seen  anywhere.  Another  bird  that  was  with  these  two  appeared  quite  dark  beside 
them.    (Na.  1,  in  MSS.) 

129a.  Bubo  virginiauus  arcticus.    Arctic  Horned  Owl. 

One  shot  near  Duck  Mountain  in  the  fall  of  I.S83  (Thompson).  Touch- 
wood Uills:  October,  1880  (Macoun). 

130.    Nyctea  nyctea.    Suowy  Owl,     White  Owl. 

Tolerably  common  winter  visitant.  Winnipeg :  Winter  visitor;  toler- 
ably common;  arrives  September  20,  departs  Ai)ril  20  (Uiue).  Merely 
a  winter  visitant  in  the  districts  to  the  west  of  Lake  Winnipeg ;  a  few 
pass  the  summer  near  Lake  Winnipeg,  as  occasional  birds  are  seen 
there  in  spring  and  fall  (D.  Gunn).  Ossowa  (Wagner).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Regular  winter  visitor,  appearing  in  varying  numbers  each 
season  (Nash),  Carberry :  Regular  winter  resident ;  Melbourne,  Boggy 
Creek,  Big  Plain  (Thompson).  Brandon  :  February  22,  and  a  fetoale 
on  March  5  (Wood).  Qu'Appelle:  Have  seen  specimens,  but  not  com- 
mon (Guernsey). 

Wa-pa-cu-thn,  or  Spotted  Owl.  »  •  •  This  bird  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  woods; 
makes  a  nest  in  the  muss  on  dry  ground.  (HutchiusMSS.,  Observations  on  Hudson 
Bay,  17a!i.) 

During  the  winter  of  1882-83  thoy  were  very  common.  I  saw  some  almost  every 
day;  two  or  throe  perfectly  white  ones  amongst  them.  In  the  winter  ofl883-'r  I  they 
wore  less  numerous ;  in  the  winter  1884-'dr>  very  few  were  seeu ;  the  same  iu  188r)-'8(i 
asiuthe  last  throe  mentioned  years ;  hares  wore  extremely  abundant  in  tiio  north ;  they 
probably  found  sutHciont  food  to  maintain  them  there;  arrives  iu  October,  departs  in 
rehruary  or  early  iu  March.  (Nash,  in  MSS.) 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 35 


'I 


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^t^i^. 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


A 


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2?  itt    ^ 


I.I 


lit 

lU 


1.25 


I 


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> 


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Sdmces 

CarpoFatiQn 


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t%  WKt  MAM  STRMT 

WIMTM,N.Y.  I4»M 


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is 


546 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


American  Hawk  Owl. 


HH, 


IJl.  Surnia  ulula  caparoch. 

An  irregular  winter  visitaut.  Wiuiiipeg:  Winter  visitant;  arrives  in 
September,  departs  in  April;  very  abundant  in  winter  of  1884-'85  (Iliin^). 
Ked  River  Valley :  I  am  positive  that  it  is  a  permanent  resident  and 
breeds  in  the  wooded  country  east  of  the  Ited  River  (Hunter).  Winter 
resident;  very  common  at  Riding  Mountains  fallami  winter,  18Si;  not 
noted  at  Portage  la  Prairie  (Nash).  Carberry  :  Very  abundant  in  tlie 
fall  of  1884  (Thompson).  Cumberland  House,  May,  1827  (Richardsun). 
Trout  Lake  Station  and  Severn  House  (Murray). 

On  October  18, 1881,  while  shouting  in  the  half  open  country  to  the 
south,  I  saw  a  Hawk  Owl.  Its  tiight  was  much  like  that  of  a  Pigeon 
Falcon,  ami  it  perched  after  each  change  of  position  on  the  very  toi>ot 
a  tree.  I  winged  it  at  the  first  shot,  and  having  heard  that  this  species 
use  their  beak  and  claws  energetically  when  wounded,  I  approached 
with  due  caution.  It  hissed  once  or  twice  ami  endeavored  to  escape  by 
hopping.  Atler  some  little  handling  it  attempted  to  bite,  but  did  not 
otherwise  defend  itself.  October  28:  The  Hawk  Owl  seems  to  thrive 
very  well  in  continoment,  and  during  the  past  ten  days  I  have  hatl  nu 
occasion  to  a(;cuse  it  of  any  approach  to  viciousness.  It  has  jften  beun 
handled  and  if  hurt  thereby  simply  expresses  its  aimoyanceoy  a  chuc- 
kling note,  much  like  that  of  a  Whiskey  John.  When  placed  on  the 
ground  it  progresses  rapidly  by  great  hops,  but  the  slightest  putt  of 
wind  is  enough  to  upset  it.  It  sometimes  utters  a  rolling  "whillill 
illilMoo,''  somewhat  like  the  cries  of  the  Long  eared  Owl.  It  has  never 
sulked,  but  from  the  first  has  been  ready  to  apply  itself  to  the  deinoli 
tion  of  the  small  birds  and  mice  with  which  it  has  been  supplied. 

On  November  7,  while  at  the  poplar  bush,  I  saw  several  Hawk  OwIh 
and  secured  one  alive.  This  one  is  as  diiferent  as  possible  in  temper 
from  the  first  I  had.  It  snaps  with  its  bill  and  strikes  with  its  olaws  at 
any  person  or  animal  that  approaches  it.  It  refused  all  food  and  cun 
tinued  sulking  till  it  died. 

This  fall  has  been  remarkable  for  a  migration  of  dawk  Owls.  Duriii;' 
the  autumns  of  1882  and  1883  I  saw  not  one  about  here,  but  this  year  I 
have  seen  above  fifty.  Its  favorite  localities  appear  to  be  the  half-open 
woods  and  park  lands,  and  it  is  usually  seen  perched  on  the  toi*  of  tiie 
bushes  and  trees.  In  passing  from  one  tree  to  another,  it  commonly 
throws  itself  headlong  downwards  nearly  to  the  ground,  along  which  it 
skims  towards  the  next  tree,  and  on  uearing  its  goal  rises  with  a  gracelul 
aerial  bound  to  the  to[imost  perch  uttered. 

Souinwbut  irreKiiIiirly  tlmtriliiiluil  tliroiiKlHiiit  t  lio  proviuGo.  Nonr  PortttKo  la  Praii  i" 
I  never  suw  it,  but  in  Dooeniber,  18HI,  I  met  with  it  inKrmltiiilly  incroiiNing  uuiulirrH 
team  GU(la>4;iiu  to  tii«  KidluK  MoiiiilaiuH,  where  it  wan  vury  coniiuun.  They  uiv 
quite  diuriiul  in  their  haltilM.  Two  that  I  Hliot  had  nnthinjt  in  their  Btoniaeho.  Kh 
flight,  partioularly  tbroiiKh  the  low  IttiMlinB  and  noriili,  oloNoly  renonililes  that  of  tin' 
Bliarp-Bhlnnetl  Hawk;  it  Hkitnti  along  noisuleHsly  cIuho  to  the  gruiind,  frequently 
alighting  on  the  top  of  a  bush,  from  whence  it  will  dakt  on  a  uionse  or  oth«)r  pr<>v, 
It  alM)  frequently  rises  high  iu  the  air  and  hovers  over  the  ground,  remaining  hIu- 


t 


vol,.  XIII,  1 

1890.    J 


PkOCEKDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


547 


it;  arrives  in 
4-'85(Iliii('). 
•esitleut  and 
lir).  Winter 
ei',1884;  i.ot 
iidiiut  ill  tliu 
Ulcbardsuii). 

uutry  to  the 
;  of  a  Pij^i'on 
le  very  toi>of 
t  this  speciivs 

approachctl 
i  to  escape  by 
,  but  did  not 
)UiB  to  thrive 
have  ha«l  nu 
las  jften  beuii 
ice  oy  a  chuc- 
dacod  on  tliu 
j;hte8t  piitl  of 
ng"whillill 

It  has  never 

0  the  deniuli 
pplied. 

1  Hawk  Owls 
de  iu  teiuper 
li  its  claws  itt 
bod  and  con 

>wls.  During' 
ut  this  year  1 
the  hair-o|ieu 
he  toi>  of  the 
it  commonly 
Jong  which  il 
ith  a  graceliil 

itrtuffolarruiri" 
•MtNliig  uuiiiIkis 
moil.    Thoy  aiv 

HtomaohH.  Itn 
lilns  that  of  tlu' 
liud,  frequonlly 
a  or  otbor  pn-v, 

reiuadiiug  hIu- 


t  ionary  over  one  place  for  aome  tituo,  exactly  like  a  kestrel  or  our  own  Sparrow 
Hawk. 
On  November  26,  188(),  I  saw  one  on  the  banks  of  the  Red  River.    (Nasb,  in  MSS.) 

132.  Coccyzus  erythrophtlialmus.     Black  billed  Cnckoo. 

A  tolerably  common  .summer  resident  in  woodlands.  Breeding  in 
Pembina  Mountain  ((Joues).  Ited  Kiver  Settlement  (Brewer).  Winni- 
l)cg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Oak  Point:  1884, 
arrived  June  1  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Tolerably  common  summer 
resident;  arrives  about  June  1,  departs  in  August;  not  observed  on 
tlie  Red  River  near  Winnipeg;  iu  1884,  first  seen  May  31  (Nash). 
Carberry :  Tolerably  common  summer  resident ;  noted  near  Shoal  Lake, 
west,  and  eastward  toward  Rapid  City  (Thompson).  August  29,  south 
slope  of  Riding  Mountain,  American  Cuckoo  observed  (Ilind,  1858). 
Shell  River;  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  June  10;  is  common  all  summer 
aud  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  One  shot  ou  Mooro  Mountaiu  July  3,  1880 
(Macoun).    Qu'appelle  (Guernsey). 

Ou  July  29,  1882,  at  Carberry,  while  out  in  the  woods  to  the  east,  I 
heard  the  sonorous  and  to  my  oar  pleasing  "  kow-kow  kow "  of  the 
Kiiin  Crow  or  Black-billed  Cuckoo,  the  first  1  have  heard  iu  the  coun- 
try. This  specimen  measured:  Length  11^,  extension  15^;  its  stom- 
ach was  filled  with  vegetable  matter  aud  the  remains  of  insects. 

On  August  13,  at  Carberry,  shot  a  cuckoo  {erythrophthalmm)  in 
the  atlernoon;  male;  length  11,  extension  15;  stomach  was  crammed 
with  caterpillars  and  grasshoppers;  its  inner  coat  seemed  to  be  very 
slightly  covereil  with  minute  hairs.    Several  of  the  species  were  seen. 

On  June  23,  1884,  near  Shoal  Lake,  returning  with  A.  S.  T.  from 
Duck  Mountain,  for  the  first  time  noted  the  cuckoo.  The  sonorous 
^^  kow-kowkow  ^  (iaiiiQ  again  and  again  from  a  little  grove  of  poplars 
on  the  prairie.  I  went  towards  it  and  presently  heard  it  behind  me,  aud 
alter  a  little  more  searching  I  discovered  the  bird  on  a  branch  rbout 
Ti  feet  from  the  ground  aud  10  from  where  I  stood ;  it  was  sitting  per- 
fectly motionless,  watching  me  closely,  and  deliberately  uttering  the 
characteristic  kowkowa^  varied  with  other  sounds  of  the  same  nature. 

These  notes  have  often  been  described  as  hard  and  disagreeable,  but 
to  my  eur  they  are  not  unmusical  and  are  full  of  associations  with  for- 
est life  and  odors  that  make  them  pleasing  to  my  mind. 

(On  the  succeeding  days  of  June,  I  fouml  this  species  4|uite  abundant 
iu  the  groves  ou  the  prairies  between  Shoal  Lake,  west,  ami  Carberry.) 

133.  Ceryle  aloyon.    Itultud  KiiiKllHlKtr. 

Common  samtner  resident  along  all  flsh-frecpientcd  streams  and 
lakes ;  of  general  distribution ;  Pembina  and  Mouse  Kiver  (Cones). 
I'embina,  May  1  (Blakiston).  Dulferin :  Arrived  between  April  25  and 
'SO(DawBon).  Winnipeg:  Rummer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine). 
Swampy  Island:  1885,  first  seeu,  one,  ou  May  18;  next  seen  May  IU, 


i  ■■■%. 


W 


% 


M 


548 


THE   lUKDS    OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


after  which  it  became  tolerably  coiuuion ;  breeds  here;  iu  fall  was  last 
seen  on  September  24;  188G,  first  seen,  one,  ou  April  21);  bulk  arrived 
May  15 ;  last  seen  May  22 ;  is  rare  hero  ( Pliiukett).  Specimen  in  Smitii- 
soniau  Institution  from  between  Hudson's  Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg, 
also  from  Red  lliver  Settlement,  Pembina,  Miiy  1,  (Blakiston).  Lake 
Winnipeg  (Bell).  Shoal  Lake,  May  15,  1887  (Christy).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Common  summer  resident  about  the  streams  and  lakes;  ar- 
rives early  in  May ;  commences  nesting  about  the  15th  of  the  month ; 
departs  in  October;  iu  1884,  first  seen  May  5  (Nash).  Very  abundant 
on  Red  Deer,  Swan,  Assiniboine,  and  all  rivers  along  route  of  1881 
(Macouu).  Carberry:  Summer  resident;  more  seen  in  springtime 
(Thompson).  Dalton:  1889,firstseeii,  one,  on  April29;  moving  unset- 
tled ;  rare  here  and  not  breeding  ( Youmens).  Shell  River :  1885,  first 
seen,  one,  on  May  1;  next  seen,  one,  on  May  3;  a  transient  visitant;  nut 
breeding  (Calcutt).  Qn'Appelle :  Tolerably  commou  summer  resident ; 
breeds;  arrives  May  30  (Guernsey). 

I  have  never  seen  this  species  in  the  vicinity  of  any  of  the  drainage 
lakes,  although  they  abound  with  amblystomw,  insects,  etc.,  to  the  ex- 
clusion, however,  of  fish. 

134.  Dryobatea  villosus  leucomelas.    Northern  Hairy  Wooilpeckor. 

Common  resident  of  the  woodlands.  In  heavy  timber  on  Turtle  Moun- 
tain (Cones).  Winnepeg:  Riire;  breeding  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Tolerably  common  resident  (Nash).  Touchwood  Mills  and  Lake  Mani- 
toba, and  northward,  188U ;  in  the  woods  along  the  Red  Deer  and  Swan 
Rivers,  1881  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Common;  breeding;  probably  resi- 
dent, but  not  observed  by  me  in  the  very  coldest  weather.  Rat  Port- 
age: Tolerably  common  (Thompson).  Qu'Appelle:  Tolerably  common; 
permanent  resident  (Guernsey). 

On  June  11,  1883,  while  in  the  spruce  bush,  I  heard  a  curious  chirp- 
ing sound  that  scarcely  ever  seemed  to  cease.  I  traced  it  to  a  tall  poi)- 
lar  tree,  in  whose  trunk  there  was  a  hole  about  30  feet  from  the  grouml. 
Having  procured  an  ax  I  soon  had  the  tree  down,  aud  found  myself  iu 
possession  of  a  nest  of  young  Hairy  Woodpeckers.  They  were  in  a 
hole,  evidently  the  work  of  the  parent  birds,  about  a  foot  deep,  3  inches 
wide  inside  aiid  2  at  the  entrance.  The  four  youngsters  were  nearly 
grown  and  fletlged,  and  consequently  were  much  crowded  in  this  narrow 
chamber.  Three  of  them  were  precisely  !ke  the  mother-bird  in  color  a'.ul 
the  fourth  difl'ered  only  iu  having  over  each  ear  a  cockade  of  rich  yellow. 
1  took  them  home  with  me  and  found  that  they  had  enormous  api>etites, 
nearly  unlimited  capacsity,  and  tremendous  lung  power.  The  whole  d  ly 
long,  when  not  eating,  they  kept  up  a  deafening  chirr-ohirr-chirr,  antl 
two  of  them,  including  the  yellow-topped  one,  never  cersed,  except 
in  absolute  darkness.  Kven  while  morsels  of  food  were  passing  down 
their  greedy  throats  they  would  continue  to  gurgle  out  a  Hutticienoy  of 
iuterrupted  ohirrohirrn  to  save  the  priueiyle.    I  found  that  at  one  meal 


W. 


vol,,  xni.n 

181)11.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP  THE    NATION AI.    MUSEUM. 


549 


each  of  Ibese  birds  cuuUl  take  2  feet  of  the  eutrails  of  a  duck.  1  did 
not  find  it  couveuient  to  feed  tbem  more  frequently  than  three  times  a 
(lay,  and  each  mealtime  found  them  ravenous,  so  that  probably  the 
piuents  provided  them  with  much  more  food  in  the  aggrogato  than  I 
(lid,  and  as  all  they  brought  them  would  probably  bi'  ninggots  and 
insects,  caught  singly,  we  may  form  some  idea  of  the  enormous  labor 
entailed  by  the  rearing  of  a  young  brood.  These  young  birds  have  at 
each  corner  of  their  mouths  the  usual  boss  or  rounded  mass  of  yellowish 
white  tissue.  I  have  never  been  able  to  decide  on  the  use  of  this.  I 
had  supposed  that  it  is  intended  to  widen  the  gape,  as  it  is  largest  in 
the  newly-hatched  bird,  but  is  gradually  ^absorbed  as  they  grow.  Ex- 
periments, however,  with  these  young  woodpeckers  led  me  to  believe 
tliat  the  nerves  of  taste,  or  at  least  of  touch,  are  located  there,  for  these 
birds  never  would  open  their  beaks  to  receive  the  food  they  were  clam- 
oring for  at  first  when  I  touched  them  on  the  beak  or  breast,  but  the 
moment  this  soft  lump  was  touched  they  were  wide  agai)e. 

The  usual  note  of  this  rather  noisy  bird  is  a  loud  chvek,  but  it  has 
also  a  harsh,  prolonged,  rattling  cry,  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  the 
kingfisher's  rattle,  but  varied  and  lengtlieued  with  a  combination  of 
stridulous  screams. 

135.  Dryobates  pubescens.    Dnwny  Woodpecker. 

Tolerably  common  in  wooded  sections;  said  to  be  resident.  Winni- 
p(^g :  Resident;  abundant;  breeding  (Iline).  Siioal  Lake,  May  15, 1887 
(Christy).  Ossowa  (Wagner).  Portage  la  Praire:  Tolerably  common 
resident  (Nash).  Lake  Manitoba  and  westward;  specimen  shot  at 
Manitoba  House,  June  1(5, 1881  (Macoun).  (Jarberry:  Uncommon;  prob- 
ably resident  (Thompson). 

136.  FiooideB  arcticus.    Arctic  Tliroo-tocd  Woodpecker. 

Common  resident  in  the  woods,  especially  among  spruce.  Specimens 
])rocured  near  lied  River  Settlement  by  I).  Ounn  in  Smithsonian  In- 
stitution collection  (Blakiston).  Very  abundant  about  Rat  Portage 
in  October,  1886;  also  in  all  the  spruce  woods  near  Carberry ;  it  is  there 
more  numerous  in  winter  than  in  summer,  therefore  it  may  be  partly 
migratory  (Thompson).  Specimens  shot  at  the  continence  of  Red 
Deer  liiver  and  the  Etimoines  River  (Macoun). 

On  November  1,1884,  while  out  deer-hunting,  I  was  guided  by  the 
tapping  and  "churking"  of  a  Three  toed  Woodpecker  to  the  place 
when^  he  was  busy  foraging  on  the  trunk  of  a  spru(!e  tree,  and 
although  I  scored  a  clean  miss  the  bird  fell  dead  at  my  feet  without  a 
sign  of  violence  about  it.  It  was  a  female  and  the  stonmch  contents,  as 
identified  by  Dr.  Brodie,  area.i  follows:  Eight  larvn>  of  a  JiupreftttH  (a 
Npruc«^  borer) ;  five  larvie  of  another  species  of  Jinprcntifi,  five  larvre  of 
a  Saprrda  (a  pine  borer) ;  one  larva  of  a  Lepuhpter^  probably  a  moth  ; 
one  larva  not  distinguishable,  and  a  small  (piantity  of  wood. 


I,  it. 


550 


THE    BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


137.  Picoides  americauua.    Americau  Tbreu-tued  Woodpecker. 

Very  rare,  but  probably  general  in  the  north  and  east.  Winnipeg : 
very  rare  (Hine),  I  have  taken  this  bird  on  the  Brokenhead  River, 
also  on  the  Winnipeg  (R.  H.  Hnnter).  Rat  Portage,  October  21,  188(), 
saw  what  I  took  for  Picoides  americanus  (Thompson).  This  bird  exists 
ill  all  the  forests  of  spruce-flr  lying  between  Lake  Superior  and  the 
Arctic  Sea,  and  it  is  the  most  common  woodpecker  north  of  Great 
Slave  Lake  (Richardson).  Severn  House  (one  specimen),  the  common 
Three-toed  Woodpecker  (Murray).    Hudson's  Bay  (Hntchius). 

138.  Sphyrapicus  varius.    Ycllow-bollicd  Sapsiicker. 

Common  summer  resident  of  wooded  sectioa ;  plentiful  at  Pembina, 
where  it  was  breeding  in  June;  again  seen  on  the  Mouse  River;  not 
observed  further  north  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  abun- 
dant (Hine).  Shoal  Lake:  May  20, 1887  (Christy):  Abundant  around 
Lake  Manitoba  and  westward ;  specimen  shot  at  Mauitoba  House,  and 
Swan  Lake  House,  June  and  July,  1881  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Com- 
mon summer  resident ;  breeding  (Thompson).  Shell  River:  1885,  first 
seen  a  pair  on  May  3;  a  transieut  visitor;  not  breeding  (CtJcutt). 

On  .Tune  2U,  1883,  at  the  spruce  bush,  I  found  the  nest  of  a  Sap- 
sucker.  It  was  in  a  new  hole  in  a  green  poplar  tree,  about  30  feet 
from  the  ground.  It  contained  five  newly  hatched  young,  and  in  tlie 
cir.imber  with  them  were  some  of  the  shells,  out  of  which  I  recon- 
structed two  eggs.  The  male,  length  8^,  stomach  full  of  ants,  the  fe- 
male, length  8j|,  stomach  full  of  ants,  her  bill  also,  was  full  of  black 
ants,  intended  prob.ibly  as  food  for  the  young  ones,  excessively  fat, 
no  red  feathers  at  all  except  three  ,or  four  scattered  on  the  front  of 
the  crown,  which  was  black.  The  eggs  were  each  |^  by  §  and  pure 
white. 

On  July  3,  in  spruce  bush,  with  M.  G.  found  the  nest  of  a  Sap 
sucker.  It  wiis  about  20  feet  from  the  ground  in  a  poplar,  and  facing 
the  southeast.  Just  over  the  hole  was  a  large  limb,  which  would 
doubtless  be  of  some  service  as  a  shelter  from  the  rain.  I  shot  the 
female;  her  crown  was  black,  with  but  a  very  few  red  feathers  in  the 
front,  and  some  of  the.se  were  tipped  with  yellow.  The  gizzard  was  full 
of  wood  ants  {Fornica  ru/a). 


139.  Ceophlceus  pileatuH.    Pileiitod  Woodpecker.    Cook  of  the  woodH. 

Rare;  resident  in  heavy  timber.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  toler- 
ably common  at  Lake  Winnipeg  and  jake  of  the  Woods  (Hine).  Sel- 
kirk (Giinn).  Swampy  Islands:  Tolerably  common  resident;  breeds 
here(Plunkott).  Nelson  Uiver(  Brewer).  Very  rare  summer  resident ; 
saw  one  that  had  been  shot  in  the  woods  near  the  White  Mudd  River 
at  Westbourne  in  1887  (Nash).  The  species  was  seen  on  Swan  River, 
Septemlter  2,  1881  (Maoouii).    Common  in  the  woods  between  Winni- 


>r. 

'"innipeg : 

ul  River, 

•  21,  188(1, 

ird  exists 

and  tlie 

of  Great 

common 


Pembina, 
liver;  uot 
Qt;  abiin- 
nt  around 
[ouse,  and 
rry :  Com- 

1885,  first 
cutt). 

of  a  Sap- 
mt30  feet 
[ind  iu  tlie 
ii  I  rccon- 
its,  tbe  fe- 
ll of  blaek 
sively  fat, 
e  front  of 
I  and  pure 

^  of  a  Sap 
and  facing 
lich  would 
I  shot  tlie 
hers  in  tlie 
rd  was  full 


woodR. 

lent  5  toler- 
line).  Sel- 
nt;  breeds 
r  resident ; 
[udd  Uiver 
wan  Biver, 
tieu  Wioni- 


vol,.  XIII,  1 
180U.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


551 


jK'g  and  Rat  Portage,  also  about  Lake  Winnipeg  in  the  spruce  woods 
(Dr.  Arthur  S.  Thompson).  5lr.  Hine  showed  me  si  specimen  taken  at 
Prince  Albert;  two  seen  at  Rat  Portage  (Thompson). 

On  October  16,  at  Rat  Portage,  a  Pileated  Woodpecker  was  shot  by 
W.  S.  Thompson ;  male ;  length  18J,  extent  29 ;  stomach  full  of  ants. 
In  the  afternoon  saw  anotlier  in  an  elevated  })iece  of  burnt  woods. 

,  There  is  nuotlicr  species  of  Wooflpeckers,  tbe  size  of  a  migratory  pigeon,  with  a 
blooming  crimson  crown.  They  inhabit  the  interior  part  of  Hndson's  Bay.  The 
skins  of  their  head  are  used  hy  the  trading  natives  to  orniiinent  their  calimata. 
AIho  describes  a  specimen.  It  was  shot  in  Jannury  at  Gloucester  House  in  latitude 
ruV  31'  N.,  longitude  !K»^  IV  W.,  and  387  miles  np  Albany  River.  Makes  a  nest  iu  the 
liolos  of  trees;  lays  six  eggs  and  hriuga  forth  its  yonug  in  June.  (Hutchius  MSS. 
OtiNervfition  on  Hndson  Bay,  17H2.) 

140.  Melanerpea  erythrocephalus.    Ked«iieaded  Woodpecker. 

Rare  summer  resident;  common  at  Pembina  (Cones).  Winnipeg: 
Summer  resulent;  tolerably  common  ;  one  or  two  pair  seen  eacli  season 
(Uine).  Very  rare  summer  visitor;  May  31,  1885,  saw  one  bird  near 
tlie  town  (Portage  la  Prairie)  and  a  day  or  two  afterwards  saw  the 
same  bird  or  another  near  the  same  spot  (Nash).  Carberry:  Rare; 
summer  resident  (Thompson). 

Rp4-headed  Woodpecker.  •  *  »  This  bird  is  nncommon  in  these  parts  (Albany), 
nH  I  conclude  from  the  ignorance  of  the  natives  in  general  concerning  it.  Perhaps 
this  is  the  farthest  pare  of  its  migration.  (Hutchius  M8S.,  Observations  on  Hndson 
Bay,  1782.) 

141.  ColapteB  auratus.    Flicker.     Highholder.    Golden-winged  Woodpecker. 

Very  abundant ;  summer  resident  wherever  there  is  timber ;  com- 
mon along  Red  and  Mouse  Rivers;  also  observed  at  Pembina  and 
Turtle  Mountains  (t'oues).  Dufl'erin :  Arrived  between  April  15  and 
2{)  (Dawson).  In  a  Selkirk  8ettlomeut  specimen  the  belly  is  tinged 
with  pale  sulphur  yellow,  the  back  with  olivaceous  green  (Ridgway). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Nelson  River:  Id 
immense  numbers  at  Reil  River  Settlement,  April  26,  1859  (Blakiston). 
Ossowa :  Breeding  (Wagner).  Oak  Toint:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on 
April  21 ;  next  seen  on  22d  ;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Por- 
tufje  la  Prairie:  Abundant;  summer  resident;  arrives  about  April  20; 
departs  early  in  O(!tober  (Nash).  Common  throughout  the  Winne- 
pegoses  region  and  along  the  Assiniboine  wherever  there  were  trees ; 
Red  Deer  Lake,  August  20  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Abundant;  sum- 
mer resident;  breeding;  Rat  Portage  (Thompson).  Dal  ton :  1889, 
first  seen,  one,  on  April  12;  next  seen,  April  13;  became  common  on 
April  15;  breeds  here  (Youmans).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  two, 
oil  April  27;  afterwards  seen  everyday;  is  common  all  summer,  and 
breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  ('onimon  ;  summer  resident;  ar- 
rives April  25  (Guernsey).  Trout  Lake:  One  of  the  wood pecrkers,  but, 
as  it  feeds  on  ants  and  therefore  does  not  require  so  much  labor  to  get 


I 


;      K 


V 


Mi. 


.'iS'i 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


its  food  as  the  other  wo'  ;lpeckers,  its  l)il|  is  less  suited  for  such  work; 
it  is  only  >i  siiininer  visitant  to  the  fur  couutries  (Murray). 

On  May  31, 1883,  found  a  Flicker's  nest  in  oak  stub,  only  8  feet  high ; 
the  hole  was  18  inches  deep,  but  the  wood  was  quite  rotten,  and  I  hail 
no  difficulty  in  reaching  the  eggs. 

October  27,  1882,  while  examining  an  old  stump  in  the  woods  t«  the 
north  of  Carbcrry,  I  met  with  an  excellent  illustration  of  the  aptitude  of 
the  Spanish  name  for  the  woodpecker,  *'  II  Carpentero,"  as  applied  to 
our  Flicker.  I  mean  in  the  sense  of  its  being  a  worker  in  wood  and 
hons3  provider  for  others.  The  history  of  the  case  was  briefly  this,  as 
far  as  the  circumstantial  evidence  revealed  it:  First  came  the  hard- 
working Flicker  and  excavated  the  hole,  perhaps  while  yet  the  stump 
was  sound,  and  in  the  years  that  followed  we  know  not  how  many  young 
Flickers  cracked  their  glass-like  shells  in  this  narrow  chamber;  and 
after  the  Flickers  came  no  more  it  was  taken  by  some  bird,  a  grakle 
perhaps,  that,  like  the  <<  foolish  man,"  founded  its  nest  on  mud,  finish- 
ing its  superstructure  with  sticks  and  straw.  Then,  it  seems,  came  a 
new  possessor,  who  built  a  strong,  shtipely  nest  of  moss  and  mud;  but 
for  the  situation  it  might  have  been  the  work  of  a  robin.  Lastly?  this 
many-storied  tenement  house  became  the  eyrie  of  a  sparrowhawk,  whose 
household  furniture  of  straw  and  moss  reached  halfway  up  to  the  door- 
way. A  strange  tile  of  a  hole,  surely ;  but  there  was  more  yet  to  be 
learned  from  the  old  stub,  and,  allowing  fullest  weight  to  circumstan- 
tial evidence  and  accepting  the  supposititious  as  a  fact,  1  may  be  al 
lowed  to  relate  as  a  matter  of  established  history  that  on  a  certain  day  Sir 
Faleo  sparverins  brought  home  to  his  brood  a  tiny  shrew,  of  the  species 
yclept  by  scientists  the  Sorex  cooperi.  Now,  it  chanced  that  the  young 
hopefuls  of  the  robber  baron  were  not  just  then  very  hungry — oh  I  mar- 
velous chance — so  that  the  Sorex  cooperi,  being  left  to  his  own  devices, 
set  about  to  escape,  and  so  far  succeeded  that  he  burrowed  down 
through  the  homo  effects  of  the  Kestrel  and  the  moss-builder,  but  when 
so  ftir  the  hard  mud  floor  barred  further  progress,  and  the  poor  little 
captive,  weary  and  wounded,  soon  died  in  the  buried  nest;  and  there 
I  found  him,  like  Ginevra  in  the  oaken  chest,  when  long  afterwards  I 
broke  open  the  rotten  timber  and  made  it  disclose  a  tragic  title  that,  may 
be,  never  happened  at  all. 

In  this  region  (Carbcrry)  the  flicker  seems  to  prey  principally  on  ants, 
taking  them  sometimes  from  the  rotten  stumps  that  are  honeycombed 
with  their  galleries,  but  more  often,  I  believe,  from  the  mound-like  ant- 
hills which  are  to  be  seen  on  the  prairie  in  such  numbers.  His  method 
of  attack  seems  to  be  by  first  pecking  a  hole  in  the  center  of  the  hill, 
and  then  as  the  ants  come  swarming  out  he  dispatches  them  till  his  ap- 
petite is  satisfied.  Afterwards  he  comes  agaiu  ai!  I  again  to  the  hill  till 
it  is  completely  depopulated. 

On  tlio  iJTMi  July,  18B4,  I  nnw  nnfl  nf  tlicsn  birdn  tInRtiiiff  on  a  nnndy  spot  near  the 
ANsiniboino  Rivor.  Ho  ixTfiiriiUMl  tho  oporiition  an  skillfnlly  oh  a  qunil  and  was  evi- 
d*>utly  used  to  it. 


VOI-.  XIII.l 
18U0.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM 


653 


as,  came  » 


In  cold,  stormy  weather  they  roost  on  the  ground  amongst  the  long  grass  at  the 
root  of  a  stamp  or  tree.  On  the  39th  Septoinbur  I  put  several  out  of  such  places  just 
at  dark.  They  were  very  loth  to  leavp,  ray  dog  almost  jumping  on  them  before  they 
would  get  out.    (Nnsh,  in  MSS.) 

142.  AntroBtomuB  vociferus.    Whip-poor-will. 

Common  summer  residuiit  in  woods  and  bluffs.  In  numbers  at  Pem- 
bina (Ooues).  Pembina  (Lay).  Dufferin:  Arrived  May  8,  1874 (Daw- 
son). Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  abundant  (Eline).  Its  voice  is  known 
at  Ked  River  Settlement  (Blakiston).  Ossowa:  Breeding  (Wagner). 
Oak  Point :  1884 ;  first  heard  May  8 ;  next  heard  May  12 ;  heard  again 
on  13 ;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Com- 
mon summer  resident ;  arrives  about  May  20 ;  departs  early  in  Sep- 
tember; found  young  partially  fledged  as  late  as  July  29  (Nash). 
Abundant  in  the  north  ;  Manitoba  House,  JunelT,  1881 ;  Grand  Valley 
(Mncoun).  Carberry:  Common  summer  resident;  breeding;  Long 
lliver  (Thompson).  Two  Rivers :  1885,  first  heard,  one,  May  21  j  next, 
May  24 ;  fairly  rare  (Criddle).  Brandon :  May  25, 1887  (Wood).  Shell 
River:  1885,  first  heard,  one,  May  20 ;  common  all  summer;  remains 
until  August  (Calcutt).    Qu'Appelle  :  Occasional  (Guernsey). 

On  May  17, 1882,  at  Long  River  Gorge,  a  partly  wooded  country,  the 
best  we  have  seen  yet,  heard  a  number  of  whip-poor-wills  chanting  their 
familiar  strain  towards  night.  This  is  the  first  notice  of  their  arrival. 
June  C,  went  late  in  the  evening  to  the  eastern  slough  to  observe  the 
two  nightjars.  Both  of  these,  as  well  as  the  mosquitoes,  were  in  full 
force.  But  as  the  shades  of  night  closed  in  the  night-hawks  that  hith- 
erto had  been  chiefly  noticeable  beciime  less  noisy,  and  their  cousins, 
the  whip-poor-wills,  became  the  principal  performers  in  the  full  concert. 
How  many  there  were  it  would  be  hard  to  say,  but  certainly  not  less  than 
a  dozen  appeared  to  be  in  the  near  neighborhood,  and  the  chorus  of 
voices  loudly  reiterating  "  whip-poor  will "  was  always  a  full  one  of  at 
least  three  voices.  As  I  lay  in  the  grass  and  listened  to  these  various 
voices  of  the  night  I  attempted  a  clumsy  imitation  of  the  notes  ''whip- 
poor-will,"  and  was  pleased  to  sec  one  of  these  birds  come  flying  around 
me  closer  and  closer  until  at  length  it  hovered  but  18  inches  from  my 
face  in  the  grass.  For  a  moment  or  two  he  poiped  and  inspected  me ; 
then  flying  away  he  returned  immediately  with  another,  his  mate  prob- 
<ibly,  and  the  pair  skimmed  about  me  once  or  twice ;  then  the  wing  mo- 
tion, which  I  could  barely  discern  in  the  gloom,  ceased  in  the  vicinity 
of  a  certain  stump  close  at  hand.  At  once  I  concluded  that  the  bird 
had  alighted,  and  then  the  calmness  of  the  night  was  shocked  by  the 
usual  tragedy. 

The  refrain  is  almost  too  well  known  to  need  description.  It  consists 
of  three, or  sometimesfour,  notes,  "whip-poor-will,"  or  "ah-whip-poor- 
will."  The  "  ah  "  is  very  faint  at  best;  the  "whip  "and  "poor"  are 
rich  am^  smooth,  but  with  an  accent  on  the  former  r  the  "  will,"  uttered 


rm 


;!■*' 


554 


THE   BIRDS    OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


vot-  *tii,-l 
1800.    J 


with  a  rattle,  great  force,  ami  einpliauis,  seems  at  half  the  distance  from 
you  and  not  quite  the  same  directiou  as  the  first  notes. 

On  June  27, 1883,  in  the  dry  open  woods  to  the  south,  I  found  the 
nest  of  the  whip  poor  will.  The  two  young  ones  were  covered  with  yel- 
low down,  wlii(!h  made  ihem  very  conspicuons  on  the  dark  leaves.  They 
were  close  to  the  base  of  a  very  large  poplar  and  only  20  feet  from  an 
oven  bird's  nest.    No  attempt  at  nest  building  was  observable. 

Tli«  wliip-poor-will  (Antroslomm  vociftrua)  (lifters  from  its  near  relative,  tlio  night- 
'hn\vl<,  ill  Hoverul  pivrticiilarH.  It  seldom  leaves  the  woods  and  comes  out  onto  the 
opon  prairie;  and  even  among  the  trees  it  is  seldom  or  never  seen  sailing  nbont  high 
overhead  during  daylight.  It  is  also  a  much  shyer  bird ;  and,  althongh  its  highly 
remarkable  far-sounding  voice  may  often  be  heard,  it  needs  great  caution  to  gei 
within  a  sufficiently  short  distance  to  see  the  performer.     (Christy.) 

143.  Chordeiles  virginianus  aennetti.    Night-hawk. 

Very  abundant  summer  resident.  The  type  of  this  variety  was  taken 
by  the  describer,  Dr.  Cones,  on  the  boundary  50  miles  west  of  Pembina. 
I  therefore  assume  this  to  be  our  only  form.  Pembina  and  westward 
along  the  boundary  to  the  Kockies  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resi- 
dent; abundant  (Dine).  Ossowa:  Breeding  (Wagner).  Oak  Point:  1884, 
arrived  May  25;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  19;  next  seeu  ou  May 
-,3;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Abundant 
summer  resident ;  arrives  about  May  20,  departs  about  September  15; 
in  1884,  lirst  seen  May  27  (Nash).  Abundant  in  the  Northwest;  speci- 
men shot  at  Manitoba  House,  June  10,  1^81  (Macoun).  Oarborry : 
Abundant  summer  resident;  breeding  (Thorn  uson).  Dalton:  First  seen, 
one,  on  May  27  (Youmans).  Two  Kivers:  1885,  first  seen,  several,  May 
23;  next  seen.  May  25;  became  common  ou  and  after  May  27;  breeds 
here  (Criddle).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  23;  next 
seen,  ten,  on  M.ay  24;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcntt). 
Qn'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  May  21  (Guern- 
sey). 

On  August  1, 1883,  while  in  the  eastern  sand  hills  with  Miller  Christy, 
we  found  the  two  young  of  a  Night-hawk  sitting  on  the  bare  ground 
in  the  open.  They  seemed  about  3  days  old.  On  the  tips  of  their  beaks 
were  still  the  hard  white  points  with  which  they  are  furnished  to  aid 
them  in  chipping  the  shell.  The  old  shells  were  lying  around  the  nest, 
as  is  the  case  with  the  Prcwoces,  and  but  for  these  1  should  have  passed 
by  the  young  ones,  as  they  had  squatted  close  to  the  ground  aud  shut 
their  eyes,  for  the  blackness  and  brilliancy  of  these  wovkld  almost  cer- 
tainly have  betrayed  them.  I  gen^^ly  touched  one  of  them,  whereupon 
it  crouched  down  more  closely  to  the  ground  ;  but  its  companion,  rising 
up,  hissed  with  open  beak  and  snapped  savagely  at  my  fingers.  On 
being  further  teased  they  ran  off,  exactly  in  the  manner  of  young  ducks, 
with  outstretched  wings  and  with  neck  and  body  at  an  angle  of  45 
degrees.    After  running  a  few  feet  they  stopped,  squatted  as  before. 


VOL  Xlii.T 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINaa   OP   THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


555 


iin<l  closert  thoir  eyea.  This  they  -peatcH  sovoral  times,  but  at  best 
they  only  made  little  progress,  ai^l  each  time  on  being  overtalien  the 
buhl  one  was  always  ready  to  flght.  This  proved  to  be  a  male;  the 
mw  of  the  other  was  not  ascertained,  but  probably  it  was  a  female.  At 
this  age  the  middle  claw  is  not  pectinated. 

In  the  light  of  these  observations  it  seems  likely  that  in  some  of  the 
cases  in  which  the  Niglit-hawks  are  supposed  to  have  carried  oif  their 
young,  the  latter  had  really  run  from  danger,  or  were  led  away  by  the 
parent  birds.  It  is  pretty  well  established  that  these  will  remove  t  heir 
eggs  from  a  dangerous  locality,  carrying  them  in  their  mouth,  but  it  is 
difficult  to  understand  how  they  could  so  transport  their  yonng. 

On  May  29, 1884,  watched  a  Night-hawk  bt-  >ming  a  number  of  times 
in  broad  daylight ;  eacli  time,  pist  as  the  boom  began,  the  wings  were 
l>rought  forward,  so  that  the  two  together  formed  a  half  moon,  with 
the  points  downwards,  and  as  well  as  I  could  discern,  the  tips  of  the 
wings  vibrated  out  of  sight  while  the  sound  continued. 

The  courting  and  mating  ceremonies,  apart  from  the  booming,  are 
carried  out  chiefly  on  the  ground,  where  the  male  may  be  seen  chasing 
his  mate  about  and  around  the  logs  and  bushes.  When  thus  engaged 
they  do  not  hop,  but  always  run,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  observe. 

As  already  intimated,  the  eggs,  which,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge, 
never  exceed  two  in  number,  are  laid  on  the  L  re  ground;  they  are 
peculiar  in  being  of  the  same  shape  at  each  end,  both  in  fact  being 
big  ends.  When  sitting  on  them  the  old  bird  will  close  her  lustrous 
bhick  eyes  and  remain  perfectly  still  until  nearly  trodilen  on ;  then, 
finding  herself  discovered,  she  will  flutter  oft"  and  attempt,  by  the 
usual  shamming  of  lameness,  to  lead  the  intruder  away  from  her  treas- 
ure. According  to  Audubon,  these  birds  will  remove  their  eggs  when 
much  molested.  My  own  experience  shows  that  they  will  desert  the 
eggs,  bat  I  have  never  known  them  to  be  removed  by  the  birds  them- 
selves. 

The  old  theory  of  the  Night-hawk's  booming  was  that  the  sound  was 
caused  by  the  air  rushing  past  the  wide,  gaping  throat;  buttlio  present 
idea  seems  to  be  that  it  is  made  by  the  wings.  In  support  of  the  latter 
I  would  adiluce  the  following  reasons :  First,  the  sound  bears  evident 
resemblance  to  the  drumming  of  the  partridge  and  of  the  snipe;  sec- 
ond, it  may  be  accurately  imitated  by  throwing  a  large  nail  sideways 
through  the  air;  and  hist,  the  following  observation  on  the  crow,  a  not 
very  wide-mouthed  bird,  points,  I  think,  to  a  wrong  origin  for  the  sound. 

Toronto,  May  14,  1885:  While  watching  a  crow  being  chased  by 
another,  I  noticed  the  foremost  one  dive  suddenly  downwards  and 
then  up  again  ;  the  pursuing  bird  followed  even  more  quickly,  and  as 
it  swooped  upwards  it  produced  at  the  turn  a  boom  similar  to  that  of 
the  Night-hawk,  but  duller  and  in  a  lower  key,  as  might  have  been 
expected  from  the  larger  featiiers  and  slower  flight  of  the  crow. 


::f 


fl 


65n 


THE   KIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


The  Night-hawk  Bubaists  cliieflyou  iusects,  which  it  (devours  ou  the  wing;  \mt 
Wilflon  examined  some  whoso  tri/zairlH  wore  full  of  crickctH,  a  prey  that  miiflt  have 
been  taken  from  the  ground.  On  Heveral  occasioiiH  I  have  found  the  stomach  full  of 
H^rasshoppers,  and  in  one  I  found  a  number  of  pebbles.  As  Hoon  as  the  young  arc 
strong  on  the  wing  the  species  is  ^eoii  in  Honks  and  begins  to  depart,  for  it  is  one  of 
the  earliest  to  move  of  the  full  migrants.  These  Hocks  are  very  long  and  strAgglin<r, 
though  few  in  numbers ;  the  largest  I  ever  noted  contained  forty-one  of  the  birds. 
(Carberry.) 

The  eggs  of  the  Night-hawk  ( Chonhiles  virginianua)  were  several  times  found  on  thn 
bare  ground  among  the  sand  hills  [ou  the  north  side  of  the  Souris,  near  Plum  Creek], 
with  no  approach  to  a  nest  for  the  h'tlpless  young.  The  parent  birds  endeavored  to 
draw  ns  away  from  their  eggs,  fl uttered  as  if  wounded  a  short  distance  from  thotn, 
and  ottering  cries  of  distress.    (Hind,  July  1,  1858.) 

Amoug  the  treos  on  the  sand  hills  and  in  the  bluffs  the  Night-hawk  {Chordeiles 
popetue)  is  abundant  and  makes  itself  very  couNpicuous  towards  evening  by  its  loiul 
scream,  byboomiug,  and  by  displaying  during  llight  the  unmistakable  white  patch  ou 
each  wing.  Not  uiifrcquontly  it  may  be  scon  on  the  wing  at  midday  ;  and  it  always 
makes  an  appearance  long  before  sunset,  sailing  about  ai  a  great  height  and  scream- 
ing frequently.  After  flying  a  while  over  the  head  of  any  intruder  it  suddenly 
spreads  its  wings,  and,  giving  a  wide  swoop  dov'nwards,  emits  a  loud  bnomin<; 
noise,  which  has  gained  for  it  in  some  parts  of  America  the  name  of  "  Bull  Bat." 
That  this  noise  is  made  over  one's  head  in  order  to  threaten  or  intimidate  seems  (o 
me  pretty  certain ;  but  I  have  also,  I  believe,  heard  it  emitted  at  a  distance,  without 
any  snob  object. 

The  number  of  old  birds  began  to  get  very  much  less  by  the  end  of  August,  but  a  few- 
were  nevertheless  seen  until  well  on  into  September— one  as  late  as  the  11th.  After  the 
migration  commenced  they  were  not  unrrequently  seen  in  the  evenings  Hying  over  in 
large  straggling  parties,  circling  about  as  they  proceeded.  These  parties  usually 
traveled  southwest,  I  believe,  though  this  is  not  the  direction  usually  chosen  by  the 
other  birds  of  the  district  when  moving  south.    (Christy.) 

Early  in  Jane,  18S3,  I  witnessed  the  courtship  of  a  pair  of  these  birds.  It  was  a 
very  pretty  sight.  The  spot  selected  for  their  meeting  was  a  small  bare  patch  of 
ground  in  the  edge  of  the  scrub,  evidently  where  an  old  camp  lire  had  been  made. 
About  this  the  male  strutted,  posturing  most  gracefully  before  his  mistress,  remind- 
ing one  somewhat  of  the  antics  of  a  male  tamo  pigeon  when  similarly  engaged. 
(Nash,  inMSS.) 

144.  Chaetura  pelagica.    Chimney  Swift. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident.  Common  at  Pembina,  and 
thence  westward  to  Mouse  River  (Coues).  Pembina  (Lay).  Winni- 
peg: Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Com 
mon  summer  resident;  arrives  about  May  10,  departs  early  in  Sej) 
tember;  in  1884  first  seen,  May  17  (Nash).  A  few  observed  at  Swjin 
Lake  Qouse,  July  8, 1881  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Rare  and  not  breeding 
(Thompson).    Brandon:  April  21, 1887  (Wood). 

A  nest  examined  by  me  at  Winnipeg,  July  1.'),  If^S"),  contained  four  eggs.  The 
young  were  hatched  a  few  days  after.  From  that  time  the  young  remained  in  and 
around  their  ne.Ht  until  September  4,  when  they  flew  for  the  flrst  time,  ar-^  at  once 
disappeared.  After  the  young  grow  too  largo  fi)r  the  nest  they  arranged  themselves 
In  a  row,  touching  one  another,  l)iit  slightly  l>elow  each  other,  and  clung  to  the  wall. 
In  that  position  they  remained  until  they  took  their  final  departure.    (Nash,  in  MSS.) 


r'Ji 


ifl 


VIPI.   xiii,'! 
1890.     .1 


PKOCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


557 


ce,  without 


145.  TroohiluB  colubris.    Kii  by- Mi  routed  Hiiiiiiiiiug  Bird. 

Tolerably  coiumou  suuiincr  rcsid'Jiit  of  Hheltoiod  garduus.  Quite 
coiniuoii  at  Pembina;  not  seen  west  of  this  poiut  (Cones).  Dulteriu: 
Arrived  May  17,  1874  (Dawson).  Known  abont  liie  gardens  of  Red 
lliver  Settlement (Blakiston).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably 
common  as  far  north  as  Big  Island  Lake,  Manitol  « (Hiiie).  Oak  Point: 
1884;  arrived  May  25  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  summer 
resident;  arrives  about  June  3;  also  near  Winnipeg  (Nasb).  Specimens 
seen  on  Ked  Deer  iiiver,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Winiiepegosis,  August  16, 
1881  (Macoun).  Not  observed  on  the  Big  Plain  (Thompson).  August 
20,  south  slope  of  liiding  Mountain,  humming  birds  were  observed ;  Bad 
Woods;  "First  humming  bird  was  noticed  here"  (Hind,  1858).  Shell 
Kiver:  1885;  first  seen  Juno  3  ^Calcntt).  Qu'Appellc:  Occasional;  not 
plentiful  (Guernsey).    Norqiiay :  1884  (Christy). 

146.  Milvulus  forficatUB.    Soissor-tuilcd  Flycatcher. 

Accidental  visitant.  Winnipeg:  Accidental  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prai- 
rie: One  found  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Nash,  2d  October,  1884. 

The  Swallow- tailed  Flycatcher  {Milvnlus  forjicatua)  is  such  a  charac- 
teristically southern  bird  that  its  accidental  occurrence  in  Manitoba  is 
worthy  of  note.  Last  January  I  was  shown  a  splendid  specimen  taken 
at  Portage  la  Prairie  by  Mr.  Nash.  He  found  it  lying  dead  on  the 
prairie  on  the  20th  October  of  1884.  Its  stomach  was  empty,  and  the  bird 
was  very  emaciated,  although  in  fine  plumage.  On  the  previous  night 
there  was  a  sharp  frost.  In  addition  to  this  record,  I  quote  the  follow- 
ing rather  startling  statement  from  the  Boport  on  the  Hudson  Bay,  by 
Professor  Bell,  of  the  Canadian  Geological  Survey,  1882 : 

But  the  most  singular  discovery  in  regard  to  geographical  distribution  is  the  finding; 
of  the  Scissors-tail,  or  Swallow-tail,  Flycutcliur  {MUvalwa  forjicatua  Sw.)  at  York 
Factory.  *  •  *  The  specimen  ia  the  Quverninent  Museum  was  shot  at  York  Fac- 
tory in  the  summer  of  1880,  aud  I  have  learned  since  that  these  remarkable  birds 
were  occasiouully  seen  at  the  posts  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  alt  tlie  way  west  to 
the  valley  of  the  Mackenzie  Kiver.— £.  £.  T. 

147.  Tyrannus  tyrannus.    Kingbird. 

Very  abundant  summer  resident  wherever  there  are  any  trees;  ex- 
tremely numerous  at  Pembina;  breeding ;  abu'  riant  along  the  line  west- 
ward to  the  Kockies  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident}  abundant 
(Hine).  Big  Bidge:  Most  common  of  all  was  the  tyrant  flycatcher  (ilfiM- 
cieapa  tyranntis)  which  endeavored  to  hold  undisputed  sway  over  the 
bluff  he  had  selected  as  his  home  ( Hind).  Ossowa:  Breeding  (Wagner). 
Oak  Point :  1884,  arrived  June  3 ;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  21;  next 
seen,  one,  on  May  22;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Very  common;  summer  resident;  arrives  abont  May  17; 
departs  the  first  week  in  September;  in  1884,  first  seen.  May  17  (Nash). 
Very  common  throughout  the  Winnepegosis  region  examined  in  1881;' 


ii 


658 


THE    BIRDS    OF    MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


chiefly  on  borders  of  prairies  or  opeuiiigs  (Miiconii).  Carberry :  Abnu- 
daut  smniuer  resident;  breeding;  Duck  Mountain  (Tliompsou).  Two 
Kivers:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  21;  next  seen,  May  23,  when  it 
became  comuion ;  is  common  here  (Griddle).  Dalton:  1889,  first  seen, 
one,  on  May  24 ;  next  seen  on  May  25 ;  breeds  here  (Younians).  Shell 
Eiver:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  21 ;  next  seen,  five,  on  May  24;  i.s 
common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Oalcutt).  Qu^Appelle:  Gommoii 
summer  resident ;  breeds;  arrives  AFay  24  (Guernsey). 

On  June  21,  1882,  down  by  the  slough  in  a  low  bush,  found  a  King- 
bird's nest.  It  was  just  completed  and  contained  no  eggs  yet.  The 
king  and  his  wife  made  mure  fuss  over  my  intrusion  than  most  birds 
would  have  done  had  the  nest  been  full  of  young  ones. 

Further  on  I  found  another  nest  of  this  species.  It  was  placed  on  the 
top  of  a  stub,  about  8  feet  high.  The  bird  flew  off.  The  nest  was  made 
of  roots  and  fine  libors,  and  contained  four  eggs.  One  of  them  meiisured 
IJ  kv  H  5  it  ^^'*^'*  creamy  vhite,  with  a  few  clear  spots  of  brown  and  lav- 
ender, inclined  to  form  a  wreath  about  the  large  end  ;  the  others  were 
similar;  all  were  <iuite  fresh. 

On  August  20,  1S8;J,  shot  a  young  Kingbird;  male;  6.8A;  extent, 
14;  stomach  full  of  insects;  no  crown  patch  of  bright  color.  The  spe 
cies  may  now  be  seen  far  out  on  the  open  prairie,  a  mile  or  two  from 
tindter,  catching  insects  on  the  wing  or  on  the  ground,  availing  itself 
of  the  tallest  weeds  as  perches,  or  failing  these  it  si'ttles  on  the  prairie. 
1  believe  it  never  runs  when  on  the  ground,  but  takes  wing  each  time 
it  changes  its  location.  It  is  common  to  see  the  species  in  small  parties 
of  four  or  five;  these  aie  doubtless  the  faniily  of  the  season.  They 
continue  together  under  the  guidance  of  the  old  ones  till  they  migrate. 
This  took  place  last  year  about  the  first  week  in  Se|)toniber. 

On  June  17,  1884,  at  Duck  Mountains,  heard  the  blackbinls  scream- 
ing in  the  distance,  while  above  their  noise  was  heard  the  shrill  twitter 
of  the  Kingbird.  These  grackles  had  ventured  too  near  the  king's  home 
and  he  was  showing  them  Iheir  mistake. 

July  24,  while  climbing  to  a  hawk's  nest,  the  old  birds  came  Hying 
about  my  head  uttering  their  piercing  whistles;  these  attracted  the  at- 
tention and  roused  the  indignation  of  a  Kingbird,  whu  immediately  gave 
chase  and  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  was  making  him- 
self consummately  obnoxious  to  the  hawks,  for  they  could  not  keep 
him  oil'  and  they  would  not  fly  away,  so  that  he  worked  his  tyrannical 
little  will  on  them  much  as  he  pleased.  As  well  as  I  could  nukkeonthe 
tiN)k  several  rides  of  over  a  hundred  yards  on  one  of  the  hawks,  aud 
no  ''  )iibt  when  pertthed  on  its  ba(;k  he  was  not  idle. 

It  has  been  questiiMied  whether  the  Kingbird  really  exerts  physical 
violence  with  beak,  etc.,  in  the  ui'Tial  combats  for  which  it  is  noted,  the 
cop'iter  proposition  being  that  the  predaceous  birds  have  a  dislike  of  a 
scene  and  know  that  an  uproar  is  fatal  to  their  designs,  and  therefore 
they  l)eat  a  retreat  as  soon  as  their  vituperative  little  adversary  api)earB. 


vor,.  xiii.n 
1800.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


559 


1  am  iucliuttd  to  tliiuk  that  while  there  is  much  truth  in  the  latter  view 
the  former  is  not  wrong,  as  the  above  goes  to  show,  and  the  ai^rial  activ- 
ity of  the  flycatcher  saves  him  from  any  attempt  the  hawks  may  make 
to  summarily  end  the  persecution. 

The  Kingbird  has  a  peculiar  method  of  expressing  his  devotion  to 
his  uiat«.  On  the  warm  spring  evenings  he  may  be  seen  leaving  his 
post  by  her  side,  in  some  low  tree,  and  launching  out  he  rises  to  a 
height  of  30  or  40  feet  in  the  air  and  gives  vent  to  a  tremendous  sus- 
tained volley  of  screams  and  twitters,  during  which  he  continues  to 
dart  backward  and  forward  in  a  frantic  sort  of  a  way,  making  a  very 
'demonstrative  but  harmless  charge  at  any  passing  bird,  and  illustrat- 
ing several  fanciful  methods  of  flight  until,  having  relieved  his  feelings 
and  covered  himself  with  glory,  he  swoops  down  into  the  bush  to  re- 
ceive the  applause  of  the  only  spectator  he  seeks  to  please.  The  food 
of  this  bird  consists  chiefly  of  coleopterous  insects,  but  I  have  occa- 
sionally found  seeds  in  its  gizzard.  In  the  pursuit  of  its  ordinary  prey 
it  nuiy  often  be  seen  far  out  in  the  jtrairie,  miles  from  any  trees.  Under 
these  circumstances  it  avails  itself  of  the  tall  weeds  as  perches,  or, 
failing  these,  settles  on  the  ground.  The  young  continue  with  the  par- 
ents until  all  move  southward. 

Tlio  well  kriowii  Kiu^jbii-doiT^'riint  Fly-catclnjr(  Tyiatniumarolini'imii)  Ih  iilMiiiduLt 
ill  Mitiiitobii.  A  iiiont  i'oiirlcHS,  iiKiiiiHitivo,  piigiiauioii!!,  uiul  \vui'liko  bird  it  iMdittlcult 
to  iiiiugino.  Orttm  whoii  1  liavo  Hhut  a  bird  u.s  a  Hpociiiiuii,  up  buH  lluwii  a  Kiii;rbird 
wilii  a  inaiiiicr  whicli  ^avo  him  tlio  aiipt'arjuico  of  sayinfj,  "  N<»\v,  wbul's  K"'"^  ••" 
heruf  "  T(»  Hoo  a  Kingbird  diiHh  at  and  allaclv  a  bii^o  liarricr,  for  no  otliur  piiipuMu 
wbutsoovor  than  to  Iiavo  a  tl;;iit,  is  a  tiling;  i>f  coaiiiuiii  ouiMirnnco,  and  tbo  harrier 
alwayH  tries  to  avoid  aiitl  o8ca|)o  from  his  aH.saiiaiit.  Tiio  Kiii<;bird  bivcds  in  the  h>\v 
Hcrnbby  oak  trues  wliiidi  covtM' thiv  sand  bills,  buildiii<;',  liko  tbn  .shrike,  a  nest  cuu- 
sistinj;  largely  of  the  stalks  of  a  specios  of  (iHiiiihttUmn,  After  tbo  yoiiii^  are  able  to 
tly  they  often  live  round  the  settlers'  bouses  ou  the  o|)eii  pruirie,  but  about  the  end 
of  August  they  all  leave,     ((Jhristy.) 

During  August  I  frei|uently  saw  theso  birds  drop  onto  the  surface  of  the  water 
of  the  Re<l  Kiver  and  remain  there  lloating  down  with  th<^  eiirreiit  for  some  minutes 
at  a  time.  Oeeasionally  they  would,  whilst  there,  work  their  wings  as  other  birds  <lu 
when  bathing,  and  so  wash  themselves.     (Nash,  in  M.'^S.) 

148.  MyiarchtiB  criuitus.    Crested  I'lycalidier. 

Very  rare;  summer  resilient  of  tliick  woods.  Winnipeg:  Hummer  resi- 
<lent;  toleralily common;  a  few  taken  (IJine).  Lake  Manitoba:  June  17, 
1H81  (Macoun).  I  fre<|iUMitly  heard  the  sonorous  croak  ot  this  bird  in  the 
Carl>erry  spruce  bush,  but  never  satisfactoi ily  established  its  presence 
thereuntil  the  siunmor  of  t<SH(»,  when  my  brother,  Dr.  AiMiurH.  Thimip 
son,  sent  ine  a  male  s))ecimen,  killed  tiicre  on  <)une  (i  (Thomjison). 
Portage  la  Prairie:  Rare  summer  resident ;  one  pair  bred  in  the  woods 
uear  the  Assiniboiue  Uiver  each  year  (Nash). 


>^l 


560 


THE    BIRDS    OF    MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


vol..  xiii.n 

1890.    J 


149.  Sayornis  phoebe.     riid'bc.    Poweo. 

liare  summer  resident;  one  or  two  pairs  seen  each  season;  usually 
nests  under  bridges.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident  (Mine).  Oak  Poiut: 
1884,  arrived  May  15;  scarce;  1885,  liist  teen,  two,  on  May  22;  next  seen, 
one,  on  May  24;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Qu'Appelle: 
Tolerably  common;  summer  resident;  arrives  May  20  (Guernsey).  Port- 
age la  Prairie:  On  the  11th  of  May,  1885,  I  believe  I  hoard  one  of  these 
birds  calling  on  tlie  south  .^^ide  of  the  Assiniboine  Itiver,  but  as  I  was  on 
the  north  side  and  the  river  was  banii  ful  T  could  not  cross  to  make 
sure  of  him  (Nash). 

150.  ContopuB  borealis.    Olivo-Hided'Flycatcbur. 

Common;  summer  resident  of  woodlands.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resi- 
dent; tolerably  common  (Iline).  Uaiv. ;  three  specimens  seen  on  Red 
Deer  River  and  Pembina  Mountains;  also  Waterhen  River;  evidently 
breeding  (Macouu).  Carberry:  Tolerably  «•().. imon;  summer  resident; 
Duck  Mountain,  common;  Portage  la  Prairie,  occurs  (Thompson). 

On  July  2G,  1883,  in  the  tamarac  swamp  beyond  the  spruce  bush  I 
noticed  a  very  noisy  flycatcher;  its  note  was  loud,  and  its  habits  were 
much  like  those  of  the  Great  Crested  Flycatcher.  After  some  trouble, 
for  it  was  very  shy  and  kept  chiefly  among  the  topmost  branches  of 
certain  dead  trees,  I  succeeded  in  getting  it.  It  proved  to  be  a  male 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher;  length,  7;  stomach  full  of  flies. 

June  12, 1884,  Duck  Mountain  :  A  high  wind  has  silenced  most  of  the 
birds.  Shot  an  Olive  sided  Flycatcher,  a  nn\le,  stomach  full  of  beetles 
and  flies;  it  was  uttering  a  robin-like  *■'■  chmkchuckP  The  habits  of  this 
species  seem  to  be  somewhat  between  those  of  the  Great  Crested  Fly- 
catcher and  the  Wood  Pewee.     It  is  quite  common  here. 

151.  CoutopuB  vireiiB.     Wood  Powcu. 

Tolerably  common  ;  summer  resident  of  woods ;  Pembina  (Coues). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Mine).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Common  summer  resident  (Nash).  Waterhen  River  (Macoun). 
Carberry:  Rare;  Duck  Mountain,  very  common  (Thompson).  A  speci- 
men from  northern  Minnesota  in  collection  of  Smithsonian  Institution 
(Hlakiston). 

On  June  14,  1884,  at  Duck  Mountain,  in  the  spruce  woods,  I  shot  a 
Wood  Pewee.  It  was  uttering  its  familiar  drawling  note,  pee  r-ee,  in 
its  usual  sleepy  fashion.  It  is  one  of  the  very  common  birds  of  the  thick 
woods  of  this  region.  Its  cousin,  the  Western  Wood  Pewee,  is  eqimlly 
common  in  the  more  open  woods  and  groves.  I  was  unable  to  keep 
specimens. 

152.  Contopiu  riohardsoaii.     W<mt«trii  Wood  Pvwoe.     KioliiirdHoii'H  Pow<m>. 

Tolerably  common ;  summer  resident  of  woods  and  blurt's.  Winnipeg : 
Bummer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Lliue).    Carberry:  Rare;  west 


slope  of  D 

June,  1827 

On  Jan< 

The  specie! 

much  8pri£ 

l)ee  ree 

phatic  ♦*  ri 

hand,  one 

through  tl 

asking  one 

This  spe 

while  the 


Summei 
shot  a  fly( 
it  was  all 
fairly  well 
shot  yeste 


Summei 
House,  Ji 
Biuscartb 

June  10 
it  seems 
auothor  A 


Sumrae 
common  1 
common  i 
(Coues). 
(Maooan] 

Very  a 
Pembina 
Manitobi 
(Christy; 
on  May  : 
Commou 
Lake  M 
at  Man! 
summer 

On  M 
P 


isou;  usually 
Oak  Poiut: 
22;  nextseeu, 
(iii'Appelle : 
insey).  Porfc- 
l  one  of  these 
it  as  I  was  on 
ii'oss  to  make 


Summer  resi- 
seoii  on  Ked 
iv;  evidently 
iier  resident; 
:)mp8on). 
)ruce  bush  I 
«  habits  were 
some  trouble, 
branches  of 
to  be  a  male 

d  most  of  the 
nil  of  beetles 
iiabitsof  this 
Creste<l  Fly- 


ina  (Cones). 

Portaife  la 
Br  (Mauoun). 
•  )•    A  speci- 

Institution 

is,  I  shot  a 
)ec  r-eej  in 
of  the  thick 
LS  is  equally 
bio  to  keei) 

i'm  l\nvnc. 

Wiunipefj: 
Karo;  west 


VOL.  XIII.T 

18S0.    J 


PBOCEEDINOS   OF  THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


561 


slope  of  Duck  Mountain,  common  (Thompson).  Cumberland  House: 
June,  1827  (Richardson). 

On  June  12, 1884,  at  Duck  Mountain,  I  shot  a  Richardson's  Pewee. 
The  species  seems  quite  common.  In  manners,  habits,  and  note,  it  is  a 
much  sprightlier  bird  than  its  cousin  virens.  Instead  of  the  drawling 
pe  e  ree  of  the  eastern  bird,  the  usual  note  of  this  one  is  a  loud,  em- 
phatic "  right-here,''^  which  sounds  peculiarly  appropriate,  when,  gun  in 
band,  one  is  cautiously  and  laboriously  following  the  playful  bird 
through  the  dense  willows  it  frequents,  and  inwardly  and  intensely 
asking  oneself:  Where  in  the  name  of  goodness  has  he  got  to  now? 

This  species  commonly  frequents  the  open  woods  and  willow  thickets, 
while  the  virens  seems  to  keep  to  the  higher,  heavier  timber. 

153.  Bmpidonax  flaviventris.    Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher. 

Summer  resident  in  woodlands.  Duck  Mountain,  June  11,  1884, 
shot  a  flycatcher  that  was  uttering  continually  a  note  like  "cAe-d^tc;" 
it  was  all  over  of  a  greenish  color,  but  yellow  on  the  belly ;  it  answers 
fairly  well  to  the  description  of  flaviventriSy  but  is  very  like  an  Acadian 
shot  yesterday;  evidently  the  species  is  breeding  here  (Thompson). 

194.  Bmpidonax  aoadious.    Acadian  Flycatcher. 

Summer  resident  in  woodlands.  Breeding  commonly  at  Manitoba 
House,  June  15, 1881 ;  nest  taken  somewhat  like  a  Vireo^s  (Macoun). 
Biuscarth :  Duck  Mountain ;  common  (Thompson). 

June  10, 1884,  Duck  Mountain:  Collected  Acadian  Flycatcher  to-day; 
it  seems  quite  common  here.  June  12,  Duck  Mountain :  Collected 
another  Acadian  Flycatcher ;  the  species  is  quite  common  here. 

159.  Bmpidonax  pusillua  traillli.    Traiirs  Flycatcher. 

Summer  resident,  and  douttless  much  more  widely  diffused  and 
common  than  these  Aragmentar/  observations  would  seem  to  indicate; 
common  at  Pembina  during  the  migration  in  the  first  week  of  June 
(Coues).  Lake  Manitoba :  June  17, 1881 ;  only  one  specimen  procured 
(Macoun). 

156.  Bmpidonax  minimus.    Least  Flycatcher. 

Very  abundant  summer  resident  of  open  groves ;  very  abundant  at 
Pembina;  foi\nd  also  in  Turtle  Mountain,  breeding  (Coues).  Lake 
Manitoba:  nesting  (McTavish).  Shoal  Lake:  May  15  and  23,  1887 
(Christy).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  May  11;  1885,  first  seen,  one, 
on  May  22;  is  common,  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Common  summer  resident;  arrives  about  May  10  (Nash).  Found  at 
Lake  Manitoba  and  Red  Deer  River;  also  very  common  in  the  woods 
at  Manitoba  House;  June  14,1881  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Abundant 
Hummer  resident;  Turtle  Mountain  (Thompson). 

On  May  22,  1882,  at  land  office,  Turtle  Mountain,  saw  Least  Fly- 

Proc  N.  M.  90 36 


.  / 


%\ 


11 


562 


THE   BIRDS   OP  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


catcher  in  scrub  along  the  river.  It  was  flitting  among  the  brnshwood 
and  the  branches  of  the  new-leafing  poplar  trees,  uttering  a  note 
which  I  found  I  could  as  well — or  as  ill— express  by  the  totally  different 
syllables  *'|»cAr,"  -^p-ehr^  or  ^^sd-wick,""  or  ^* s plit,'"  ** s-plitf^ or  "oAe- 
bec,"  '*  ehibec,'"  or  ^^slick  !  "  Each  of  these  is  supposed  to  represent  the 
same  note,  and  each  comes  as  near  it  as  such  descriptions  can.  This 
flycatcher  was  extremely  busy  perforce  to  keep  himself  alive  in  this 
inclement  weather,  when  insects,  his  only  fare,  are  so  scarce. 

By  June  20,  the  Lea^tt  Flycatcher  is  very  common  in  the  trees  along 
the  slough  side  woods  and  on  the  edges  of  every  grove.  Its  constant 
occupation  while  perching  is  to  reiterate  its  i>eculiar  note  **  ehebec.''^ 
What  the  ''naturally  selective"  object  achieved  by  this  may  be,  I  can 
not  say,  unless  it  has  the  effect  of  notifying  the  various  birds  of  this 
species  of  each  other's  presence,  and  thereby  facilitatiug  and  expediting 
the  duties  of  finding  and  choosing  a  mate. 

On  June  8,  1883,  shot  a  pair  of  Least  Flycatchers.  One  measures : 
Length,  5^;  extent,  84 ;  it  answers  to  Jordan's  description,  but  the 
lower  mandible  is  yellowish.  The  other  is  similar ;  it  is  to  be  seen 
darting  about  after  insects  in  every  thicket  and  grove ;  its  usual  habit 
is  to  sit  on  a  prominent  lookout  twig,  pumping  its  tail,  and  ''  cAefteo"- 
ing  until  some  hapless  insect  passes  near,  when  he  ceases  his  too  mo- 
notonous tricks,  launches  forth,  seizes  his  prey  with  an  audible  snap 
of  his  mandibles,  and  dashes  again  to  hii?  perch  to  take  up  the  ''cA«&«o"- 
ing  where  he  left  ofl*.  This  is  a  very  abundant  species  here,  on  the 
plain.  It  is  also  a  very  lively  bird,  and  has  several  different  notes; 
one  of  these  almost  approaches  a  song. 

May  30, 1884:  Who  ever  would  credit  the  chebec,  a  flycatcher,  a 
.  damatore,  with  siuging  a  soug — yet  to-day  I  saw  one  that,  In  the  ex- 
uberance of  his  spring  exhilaration,  soared  up  in  the  air  and  hovered 
in  true  flycatcher  style  to  vociferate  for  over  half  a  minute  a  song  like 
** eh^eo-tooralooral,  okebeO'tooralooral,'"  etc.,  and  having  finished  gave 
a  loud  snap  with  his  bill — a  smack  of  delight — and  glanced  downwards 
aslant  into  a  bush. 

1S7.  Otoooila  tlpwtxiM  pratioola.    Prairie  Honied  Luk,  or  Prairie  Shore  Lark. 

Abundant  resident  of  the  prairies  except  in  winter.  Breeding  speci- 
mens firom  Oarberry  and  Pembina  are  identified  by  Mr.  Dwight  as 
l>rattco2a,  also  fall  specimen  from  Bat  Portage;  from  Bed  Biver  west- 
ward, along  the  boundary  to  the  Bockies,  it  breeds  in  profusion  (Coues).* 
Shore  Lark  arrived  before  April  15  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Bummer  resi- 
dent; abundant  (Hiue).  Oak  Point:  1885,  first  seen,  four,  on  March  38; 
next  seen  on  29th;  is  common,  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  1884;  ocmroon  spring  and  fall  visitant;  stays  nearly  all  tlie 
winter;  disappears  and  reappears  at  intervals;  arrives  about  March  20; 
reappears  in  August,  and  departs  in  October  (Nash).    Very  abundant 


*  Speoinieni  from  the  plaiDs  proper  are  0.  a.  areitioola.— k.  r. 


VOL.  xin,l 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


563 


thore  Lark. 


on  prairies;  trails  along  our  route  from  Livingston  to  Fort  Pilly  and 
down  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  in  company  witb  Lap  Longspurs, 
first  half  of  September  (Macoun).  Garberry :  Abundant  summer  resi- 
dent; breeding  nine  each  season.;  resident,  except  during  December, 
January,  and  February  (Thompson).  Two  R.%ers:  1884;  arrived  March 
23  (Griddle).  Brandon:  1882,  March  20  (Wood).  Shell  River:  1885, 
first  seen,  fifty,  on  May  23;  common  in  flocks  going  north;  a  transient 
visitant;  not  breeding  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Gommon  summer  resi- 
dent; arrives  April  1  to  25  (Guernsey). 

On  May  12,  1882,  at  camp  8  miles  south  of  Brandon,  midway  be- 
tween our  tent  and  the  fire  10  feet  away,  I  started  a  small  bird  from 
its  nest.  It  ran  away  very  reluctantly,  and  continued  wistfully  close 
at  hand,  running  about  among  the  tufts  of  grass  in  the  glare  of  the  fire, 
and  returning  each  time  as  soon  as  it  dared.  At  gray  dawn  I  found 
her  on  the  nest  again;  she  slowly  walked  away  when  I  approached  to 
rekindle  the  fire,  bat  returned  almost  immediately  with  her  mate;  and 
now,  for  the  first  time,  I  saw  them  plainly.  They  were  a  pair  of  Shore 
Larks.  Encouraged,  no  doubt,  by  the  presence  of  her  mate,  she  once 
more  crept  up  to  i>.er  nest  and  took  up  her  position  on  the  eggs,  al- 
though I  was  but  5  feet  off.  Frying  our  bacon  over  a  brisk  fire,  I  was 
very  careful  to  avoid  hurting  the  birds  or  their  home ;  and  breakfast 
being  over,  travelers,  tent,  fire,  and  horses  all  went  ofif  and  left  them 
to  discharge  their  duties  in  peace.  The  nest  contained  three  brown 
eggs ;  it  was  sunken  in  the  ground,  and  was  made  of  grass  and  fiber, 
and  lined  with  two  or  three  large  feathers. 

My  first  real  acquaintance  with  the  Shore  Lark  at  his  home  was  in 
Minnesota,  in  the  last  week  of  March,  1882.  A  fearful  blizzard,  of 
course  ^'the  worst  ever  known  in  the  country,"  had  been  raging  for 
two  days  or  more.  On  the  third  day,  when  it  was  nearly  over,  I  was 
making  my  way  out  to  see  to  the  cattle.  All  the  fences  and  low  build- 
ings were  buried  in  snow,  but  the  tall  form  of  an  elevator  loomed  up 
out  of  a  circle  of  bare  ground,  caused  by  the  eddying  of  the  blast,  and 
here,  in  the  very  vortex  of  the  storm,  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  were 
three  or  four  little  Shore  Larks,  bracing  themselves  against  the  driving 
wind  and  picking  up  the  seeds  that  had  been  exposed  by  the  displace- 
ment of  the  snow.  Poor  little  things !  I  thought,  you  must  be  nearly 
at  death's  door;  biit  even  while  I  looked  one  of  them,  under  the  lee  of 
the  building,  perched  himself  on  a  frozen  clod  and  poured  out  his 
sweet,  simple  little  song  in  a  way  that  seemed  to  say,  ''How  happy 
am  L" 

But  the  longest  night  will  end,  and  it  is  not  always  winter,  even  at 
tlie  Pole.  The  spring  comes,  and  '*  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  " 
arrives,  and  the  brown  Shore  Lark  raises  his  horns  with  sprightly  air, 
and  those  who  may  chance  to  see  him  are  now  reminded  that  he  is  a 
near  kinsman  to  the  famed  skylark — that  indeed  he  is  a  skylark.  Thus 
far  he  has  sung  only  while  perching  on  some  clod  or  stone,  but  now 


i    ! 


564 


THE  BIRDS   OP  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


the  ardor  of  his  devotion  to  the  demure  little  qaakeress  by  his  side 
demands  a  more  ambitions  demonstration;  so,  ceasing  to  sing,  he 
strenuously  endeavors  to  associate  with  the  white  piling  cumuli,  and 
having  soared,  apparently,  near  enough  to  be  uncomfortably  damp, 
while  to  us  he  appears  a  mere  speck,  he  floats  on  vibrating  wings, 
singing  a  song  composed  of  a  single  note,'oft  repeated  with  lessening 
intervals ;  it  may  be  suggested  by  the  syllables  trick,  tricky  trick,  trick, 
trick,  trick,  tr-rr-r-r-rr-r-rr,^  the  notes  at  last  all  running  together 
like  the  drumming  of  a  partridge.  During  this  performance  he  has 
lost  much  of  his  altitude,  but  at  once  proceeds  to  regain  it  by  a  series 
of  bounds  before  again  repeating  the  song.  This  alternate  soaring 
and  singing  is  usually  kept  up  for  over  ten  minutes,  then  the  musi- 
cian, having  exhausted  his  energy,  suddenly  stops  and  dashes  down 
with  one  frightful  headlong  pitcb,  right  into  the  grass.  Upon  going 
to  the  spot  one  is  surprised  to  find  he  has  not  been  dashed  to  atoms 
by  the  violence  of  the  fall,  but  springs  up,  uttering  his  usual  call  note, 
and  flits  further  ofl,  again  to  settle  on  the  ground. 

The  whole  of  this  performance  will  be  seen  to  resemble  very  closely 
the  serenade  of  the  Missouri  Skylark,  the  chief  difi'erence  being  that 
the  Shore  Lark  is  inferior  in  music  and  staying  powers,  and  also  in  that 
the  latter  remains  more  nearly  over  one  particular  place.  Another 
point  of  dissimilarity  is,  the  Shore  Lark  sings  chiefly  on  the  ground, 
while  the  skylark  confines  his  efifusions  almost  entirely  to  his  moments 
of  physical  elevation. 

The  Shore  Lark  is  the  earliest  of  the  prairie  siugers  to  begin  in  the 
morning,  being  even  a  little  earlier  than  the  Meadow  Lark ;  it  com- 
mences before  there  is  any  sign  of  dawn,  and  at  night  it  continues  until 
the  plains  are  enveloped  in  perfect  gloom. 

But  singing  will  not  multiply  the  species,  and  the  two  little  "Quak- 
ers," as  they  are  often  called,  set  about  nesting  ere  yet  the  snow  is 
gone.  Not  seeking  the  shelter  of  bush  or  bank,  but  right  out  on  the 
open  prairie,  on  the  level,  they  scrape  a  hole  about  an  inch  deep,  then 
line  it  with  grass  and  perhaps  a  feather  or  two  from  their  mortal  enemy, 
the  hawk.  In  this  are  laid  four  or  fivci  brown  eggs,  freckled  all  over. 
This  species  has  a  curious  habit,  in  common  with  the  Bay  wing  Bunting, 
of  running  on  the  road  just  before  one  and  flying  a  little  further  on 
when  overtaken.  The  Shore  Lark  does  not  usually  repeat  the  maneuver 
more  than  twice  or  thrice,  and  frequently  it  suddenly  squats  and  remains 
so  until  nearly  within  reach,  when  it  springs  up  uttering  its  triple  call- 
note  and  flies  away  to  one  side. 

My  observations  incline  me  to  believe  that  in  Manitoba  the  species 
raises  two  broods  each  season. 

lS7a.  Otoooris  alpestria.    Shore  Lark. 

Fall  migrant.  Specimens  of  the  true  alpeatria  were  taken  by  myself 
at  Bat  Portage  and  at  Oarberry  in  the  fall  (Thompson).  Severn  House: 
It  appears  common  (Murray). 


VOL.  XIII,  1 
1890.    J 


Bare,  a 
about  La 
Brandon 
in  westei 
was  not  V 
miles  wes 
tbey  hav< 
reuce  at  1 
boine,  Se 
"  Magpiei 
1858  (Hin 
sey).  Oil 
or  of  Lali 
the  Sask: 
on  the  7tl 
was  last  ( 
winter;  r 
iston). 

She  pe  c 
are  plenty 
ern  settlem 
migrate  to 
I  don't  tbii 
( Hutchius' 


Tolera 
Pembina 
ing  near 
resides  { 
mer  to 
common 
of  eight 
a  letter 
remainoi 
Ossowa: 
ner).    P 
locality 
year  (Nj 
ing.     H 
departs 
Swan  h 
seen,  tw 
sient  vi 
commoi 


VOL.  XIII,  1 
1890.    J 


his  side 

sing,  he 

mull,  and 

>Iy  damp, 

ng  wings, 

lesseuin^ 

ickj  trick, 

;  together 

ice  he  has 

)y  a  series 

»  soaring 

the  uusi- 

ihes  down 

pon  going 

to  atoms 

call  note, 

Bry  closely 
yeiug  that 
l8o  in  that 
Another 
le  ground, 
8  moments 

)gin  in  the 
k;  it  com- 
inues  autil 

tie  "Quak- 
he  snove  is 
out  ou  the 
deep,  then 
rtal  enemy, 
>d  all  over, 
g  Bunting, 
further  on 
)  maneuver 
ud  remains 
triple  call- 

ihe  species 


I  by  myself 
era  House: 


PBOCEEDINOd   OF  THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


158.  Pica  pica  hudsonica.    American  Magpie. 


565 


1^ 


Bare,  and  found  chiefly  in  the  west.  Bare ;  resident  in  the  woods 
about  Lake  Winnipeg ;  have  a  single  specimen  taken  30  miles  east  of 
Brandon  (Hine).  One  at  T  .k  Fort  (Hutchins).  I  have  noticed  these 
iu  western  Manitoba  only  (Hunter).  I  was  informed  that  this  bird 
vim  not  uncommon  in  the  woods  near  the  Assiniboine  Biver,  20  or  30 
miles  west  of  Portage  la  Prairie,  about  fifteen  years  ago;  but  since  that 
tbey  liave  entirely  disappeared  (Nash).  Have  been  told  of  its  occur- 
rence at  Fort  Ellice  iu  the  winter  of  1881;  did  not  see  it;  Upper  Assini- 
boine,  September  27,1881  (Macoun).  At  Fourth  Lake,  Qu'Appelle: 
<' Magpies  are  very  numerous  in  the  thin  woods  fringing  the  lakes," 
1858  (Hind).  Qu'Appelle:  Occasional;  plentiful  100  miles  north  (Guern- 
sey). Only  stray  individuals  passing  to  the  eastward  of  the  Mississippi 
or  of  Lake  Winnipeg.  •  ♦  •  It  does  not  entirely  quit  the  banks  of 
the  Saskatchewan,  even  in  winter  (Bichardson).  Magpie  first  seen 
on  the  7th  of  October  at  Mo.squito  Point,  where  the  Belted  Kingfisher 
was  last  seen;  observed  occasionally  at  Carlton,  when)  it  resides  in  the 
winter;  not  seen  between  Hudson's  Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg  (Blak- 
iston). 

She  pe  cam  memewnck:  the  Magpye  of  Pennant.  This  bird  breeds  in  trees; 
are  plenty  in  the  interior  parts  of  the  country,  and  a  few  are  found  near  the  south- 
ern settlements.  In  my  twonty  years  residence  in  Hudson's  Bay,  I  never  knew  them 
migrate  to  York  Fort  or  Severn ;  only  one  was  caught  iu  a  marten  trap  at  York  Fort. 
I  don't  think  they  migrate  any  distauce,  as  our  people  met  them  inland  at  all  seasons. 
(Hutchius'a  MSS.,  ObHervations  on  Hudson's  Bay,  1782.) 

159.    Cyanocitta  cristata.    Blue  Jay. 

Tolerably  common  summer  resident  in  woodlands ;  very  abundant  at 
Pembina  (Goues).  Peunawa  Biver,  September,  1857  (Hind).  Breed- 
ing near  Lake  Winuepeg  (D.  Gunn).  Swampy  Island:  1885,  common, 
resides  permanently ;  they  go  to  the  south  end  of  the  island  in  sum- 
mer to  breed  (Plunkett).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably 
common  (Hine).  Oak  Point:  Arrived  May  29,  1885;  first  seen,  a  flock 
of  eight  that  flew  overhead  ou  May  24;  next  seen,  three  on  May  25; 
a  letter  to  Professor  Cooke  mentions  that  (February  G,  188/1)  two 
remained  all  winter  about  the  place,  and  became  quite  tame  (Small). 
Ossowa:  Common;  breeding;  1885,  last  seen,  one  on  October  19  (Wag- 
ner). Portage  la  Prairie :  Common;  resident;  the  majority  leave  this 
locality  in  the  winter,  but  I  have  seen  some  iu  every  month  in  the 
year  (Nash).  Carberry:  Tolerably  common  summer  residents;  breed- 
ing. Bat  Portage:  October  (Thompson).  Arrives  early  in  April, 
departs  late  iu  November  (W.  G.  A.  Brodie).  Found  at  Bed  Deer  and 
Swan  Bivers,  September  2,  1881  (Macoun).  Shell  Biver:  1885,  first 
seen,  two,ou  May  15;  next  seen,  three,  on  May  24,  going  north;  a  tran- 
sient visitant;  not  breeding  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Tolerably 
common  summer  resident;  arrives  M%  0  (Guernsey).    A  specimen 


r 


$1 


566 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


if;..' 


from  Bed  Biver  Settleineut  in  Smithsonian  Institution  ;  I  noticed  the 
absence  of  it  on  the  route  between  York  Factory  and  Lalce  Winnipeg 
(Blakiston). 

160.    Perisoreus  oanadensiB.    Canada  Jay.    Whisky  Jack.    Wia-Ka-tJan. 

Common  resident  in  wooded  sections,  especially  among  evergreens. 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Eline).  Bed  Biver 
Valley:  Common  resident;  they  breed  here  (Mfiuitoba)  in  the  month 
of  March  (Hunter).  Besident  locally  at  Portage  la  Prairie;  very  scarce 
(Nash).  Very  abundant  in  all  the  wooded  country  examined  in  1881 
(Macoun).  ^'Whisky  Jack  numerous  on  the  Scrub  Oak  BidgCf^near 
Dauphin  Lake,  October  9  (Hind,  1858).  Carbrrry :  Common  resident; 
breeds  in  the  spruce  woods  to  the  south;  Duck  Mountain;  Two  Greeks, 
on  CJpper  Assiniboine;  Bat  Portage,  abundant  (Thompson).  Shell 
Biver:  1885;  winter  visitant  (Calcutt).  Severn  House  (Murray).  Com- 
mon at  Carleton  (Blakiston). 

On  October  13,  1883,  at  Two  Creeks,  west  side  of  Assiniboine,  I  was 
awakened  in  the  morning  by  a  Whisky-Jack  screaming  close  to  my 
head.  One  or  two  of  these  birds  have  been  in  attendance  at  each  of 
our  camps  since  we  came  to  this  comparatively  wooded  region,  to  feast 
on  the  camp  scraps,  which  we  have  always  been  careful  to  put  where 
the  birds  could  easily  get  them. 

On  June  11,  1884,  at  Duck  Mountain,  I  found  the  young  Whisky- 
Johns  following  their  parents  through  the  woods.  One  of  these,  which 
I  shot,  was  all  over  of  a  very  dark  bluish  gray,  tinged  on  the  wings  and 
tail  with  a  glaucous  shade,  which  at  once  reminded  me  of  the  relation- 
ship existing  between  this  bird  and  the  Blue  Jay.  The  noises  which 
this  family  made  were  curious  and  varied.  I  have  long  ago  learnt  to 
ascribe  to  this  species  any  unknown  squeaks  or  wails  that  are  heard  in 
a  spruce  wood. 

November  8 :  Whisky- Johns  came  as  usual  to  our  camp  fire  to  day. 
They  helped  themselves  to  scraps  but  a  few  feet  from  me,  and  ulti- 
mately one  alighted  on  the  pot  stick  and  took  off  a  scrap  of  meat  that 
I  l->t't  there,  although  it  was  but  a  foot  above  a  hot  clear  Are. 

fVhile  moose  hunting  on  December  6  we  had  crawled  close  to  a  herd, 
when  suddenly  the  loud  screaming  of  the  Whisky-Jack  was  heard,  and 
before  we  could  get  a  glimpse  of  them  the  moose  had  sought  safety  in 
dight. 

During  the  numberless  times  that  I  have  camped  in  the  winter  woods 
of  the  northwest,  I  have  hardly  ever  failed  to  have  the  Wiskachon  for 
a  companion.  Sometimes  I  have  been  awakened  in  the  morning  by  the 
melancholy  wailing  of  the  bird  a  few  inches  from  my  head.  Many  a 
time  I  have  fed  it  with  scraps  placed  in  such  situations  that  its  courage 
would  be  sorely  tried  befoke  it  could  secure  the  dainties.  Once  I  laid  a 
piece  of  meat  on  the  snow  between  myself  and  my  companion.  After  one 
or  two  app  oaches  the  bird  rua||^  in  and  seized  the  morsel.    Then  I  laid 


n 


VOL.  XIII.T 
18B0,     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF  THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


567 


a  piece  between  myself  and  the  fire  some  6  feet  away ;  this  also  was 
taken.  Finally  I  stuck  a  piece  on  the  end  of  the  pot  stick,  which  is  a 
stout  stick  propped  up  so  that  it  affords  support  to  a  kettle  over  the 
fire ;  and  although  by  so  doing  the  bird  had  to  fly  down  within  6  inches 
of  a  hot  clear  fire,  without  hesitation  it  dashed  in  and  secured  the 
prize.  Long  experience  has  taught  it  that  a  camp  is  a  sure  place  for  a 
feast,  and  as  soon  ais  the  ax  is  brought  into  play  to  prepare  the  fire- 
wood it  is  usual  to  hear  the  responsive  "  tay  tay^  of  the  Wiskachon  ap- 
proaching from  some  distant  part  of  the  timber.  This  call  note  of  the 
species  is  much  like  the  ordinary  cry  of  the  Blue  Jay,  but  it  has  several 
others  that  are  distinctively  its  own;  this  includes  the  melancholy  sobs 
and  wails  which,  sounding  so  uncanny  among  the  gloomy  evergreens, 
have  snrronnded  the  bird  with  an  atmosphere  of  mythic  interest.  Ac- 
cording to  Archbishop  Tach^,  Wesakedjai  is  the  iiame  of  the  coot  and 
of  the  fabulous  being  who  takes  part  in  all  Indian  legends.  Almost  the 
only  musical  sound  that  I  have  heard  it  utter  is  a  metallic  "  okudk  ehwik,^ 
not  unlike  that  produced  by  the  robin.  The  unmusical  notes  are  so 
nun  erons  that  one  is  almost  safe  to  attribute  to  the  Wiskachon  any  un- 
.accountable  screams  that  may  be  heard  within  the  presence  of  a  spruce 
woods. 

Id  the  winter  of  lH81-'d2  I  saw  one  of  these  birds  at  Bnrnsid*,  about  13  miles  from 
Portage  la  Prairie,  the  only  one  I  ever  observed  near  there.  In  December,  1884,  I 
found  them  abundant  in  the  Riding  Mountains,  where  they  exhibitetl  all  the  famil- 
iarity usually  attributed  to  them. 

In  October,  1886,  two  or  three  frequented  the  woods  on  the  bank  of  the  Red  River, 
but  those  were  all  I  eVer  saw  in  that  neighborhood. 

Nearly  all  writers  refer  to  the  harsh  notes  of  this  bird,  but  omit  to  mention  that  it 
has  some  remarkably  pleasing  ones  also,  much  resembling  those  of  the  Black  Cap  Tit 
but  rather  louder  than  it  utters  when  traveling  about  m  small  parties,  and  also  when 
alone  if  it  feels  particularly  pleased  with  itself. 

I  can  quite  understand  why  trappers  should  dislike  this  bird,  as  it  often  does  a  lot 
of  mischief  to  the  skin  of  any  animal  that  it  may  find  dead  in  a  snare,  by  eating  holes 
iu  it ;  but  it  is  a  great  favorite  of  mine,  and  will  always  be  welcome  to  my  camp,  in 
Hpite  of  his  petty  pilferiug  of  eatables.    (Nash,  in  M8S.) 

161.  Corvaa  oorax  prinoipalia.    Northern  Raven. 

Tolerably  common  winter  visitant ;  probably  nesting  in  the  northei  n 
lands.  Tolerably  common  winter  resident  along  the  boundary  (Cones). 
Winnipeg:  Winter  visitant;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  At  Lake  Win> 
nipeg  (Kennioott).  Bed  Biver  Valley :  Resident,  tolerably  common 
more  seen  in  winter  than  in  summer  (Hunter;.  "And  in  the  spruce 
swamps  were  several  ravms,"  October  9;  near  Scrub  Oak  Bidge, 
Dauphin  Lake,  Plains  of  the  Souris,  July  (Hind,  1858).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Very  scarce;  permanent  resident ;  in  February;  1882, 1  saw  one 
about  4  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Winnipeg,  and  on  December  17, 1884t 
I  saw  two  in  the  Beding  Mountains  (Nash).  Carl)erry:  Noted  only  in 
winter;  Bat  Portage,  common  in  fall  (Thompson).  Not  observed  in 
the  Winnepegosis  region,  but  frequent  in  the  Western  Plains  (Ma- 
coun).    Qa^Appelle :  Occasional  (Guernsey). 


i 


568 


TUB   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — ^THOMPSON. 


VOL.  XIII,1 
18«0.    J 


■Ai 


Si.? 


December,  1882 :  During  tbe  past  month  or  more  I  have  seen  a  raven 
flying  over  the  plain.  From  the  tracks  in  the  snow  I  learned  that  it 
was  one  of  these  that  robbed  my  wolf  trap  of  the  bait.  When  flying 
overhead  it  resembles  a  large  crow,  but  may  be  distingnished  by  its 
frequent  sailing  and  by  its  voice,  which  is  much  deeper  and  is  not  un- 
like the  bark  of  a  dog,  and  it  is  from  this  I  suppose  that  the  bird  is  called 
"Barking  Crow"  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  employes.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Winnipeg  it  is  a  regular  winter  visitant,  but  when  the  spring 
returns  it  retires,  probably  to  the  rocky  and  timbered  land  in  the  region 
of  the  large  ]ake». 

January  13,  1887,  Bat  Portage :  Bavens  continae  as  numerous  as 
ever  about  the  town.  When  unarmed  one  may  sometimes  approach 
within  20  feet  of  them.  I  subsequently  saw  the  species  in  numbers  at 
Schreiber's,  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior  (January  16),  and  at  Nortli 
Bay,  Lake  ^^epissing  (January  18),  as  well  as  at  intervening  points  on 
the  railroad.  I  observed  it  carrying  food  in  its  claws ;  and  on  one  occa- 
sion, at  North  Bay,  saw  one  transfer  a  bone  from  its  beak  to  its  claws 
and  back  again  several  times  during  flight.  At  Schreiber's  they  were 
particularly  numerous  and  tame.  Almost  any  strange,  weird  sounds, 
musical  or  harsh,  heard  in  the  woods  there  might,  I  found,  be  safely 
referred  to  the  raven. 

Raven  (Corvut  oorax) :  Always  to  be  seen ;  and  so  far  from  being  a  solitary  bird,  as 
it  is  called  in  Europe,  I  made  a  discovery  in  its  habits  of  wbicli  I  bad  no  idea  before. 
At  the  beginning  of  winter  I  observed  that  the  ravens,  which  I  saw  about  sunset  no 
matter  where  I  was,  were  always  flying  towards  the  same  point,  and  I  concluded 
there  mnst  be  some  large  trees  somewhere  in  that  direction  where  a  few  pairs,  per- 
haps, roosted.  One  day,  therefore,  after  having  been  out  with  my  gun,  I  made  a 
point  of  returning  to  the  fort  in  the  evening  by  that  qnarter.  Judge  my  surprise 
when,  among  some  clumps  of  young  aspen  trees,  none  of  which  was  above  25  feet  high 
or  thicker  than  my  arm,  I  found  one  of  these  clumps  literally  filled  with  ravens, 
which,  on  my  near  approach,  took  wing  and  commenced  flying  about  in  all  directions. 
I  Judged  by  counting  a  portion  that  there  were  upwards  of  fifty  in  that  one  place; 
and  that  no  one  should  hereafter  say,  "Oh,  they  were  a  lot  of  crows,"  I  shot  one, 
which  I  keep  as  a  specimen.  I  have  been  to  tbe  same  spot  on  other  occasions  during 
the  winter  and  always  found  my  black  friends.  It  is  wonderful  with  what  regularity 
of  time  they  repair  to  their  roosting  place  in  the  evening  and  leave  again  in  the 
morning,  by  pairs,  for  their  day's  hunt.  One  pair  flies  directly  over  the  fort  each 
morning,  and  as  I  sit  on  watch  for  the  minute  hand  of  tbe  chronometer  to  come  round 
to  each  hour  of  observation  as  magnetic  obHerver;  they  give  a  croak  as  they  fly  over, 
as  a  morning  salutation,  I  suppose ;  at  any  rate  I  give  them  the  credit  for  such  civ- 
ility; and  looking  to  see  tbe  time  I  find  it  the  same  within  two  or  three  minutes,  but 
gradually  earlier  and  earlier,  for  the  sun,  which  is  their  clock,  is  each  day  lengthen- 
ing his  course  above  our  horizon.  The  raven  is  only  known  by  the  name  "crow'' 
here.     (Capt.  T.  Blakiston,  from  Fort  Carleton,  1858.) 

162.  Connia  amerloanus.    American  Crow. 

Common  summer  resident  of  woodlands.  A  good  many  along  Mouse 
Biver,  at  the  boundary  (Coues).  Dufferin:  Arrived  before  April  15 
(Dawson).    Bed  Biver  Settlement :  In  1859,  before  4th  of  April ',  speci- 


men from 

iiipeg:  Su 

tirst  seen, 

is  common 

first  seen. 

Lake  and  i 

were  able 

common  o 

first  seen, 

April  10; 

end  of  Ma 

became  a 

Portage  li 

March;  d 

4;  usually 

year  (Naa 

dent;  bre 

Two  on  A 

on  March 

breeds  he 

Shell  Biv 

common  i 

first  seen, 

ninety-oil 

Qu  'Appc 

Station  ( 

On  Jul 

It  contai 

much  ex( 

several t 

or  rathei 

it  in  a  m 

would  b( 

formanc( 

remarka 

crows  wi 

On  Ai 

crows ; 

and  let 

the  flocl 

make  a 

beyond 

flock  of 

quite  b 

commui 

OnS 


VOL,  XIII,1 

18M.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL    MUSEUM. 


569 


men  from  Nelson  River  in  Smithsonian  Tnstitation  (Blakiston).  Win- 
nipeg: Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Swampy  Island:  1885, 
iii-st  seen,  two,  on  April  tf ;  next  seen  April  7,  wben  it  became  common ; 
is  common  all  summer,  and  breeds  here ;  last  seen  September  20;  1886, 
first  seen,  two,  on  April  G;  bulk  arrived  April  8  (Plunkett).  Gross 
Lake  and  at  Lake  Winnipeg  (Eennicx)tt).  On  Lake  Winnipeg  the  young 
were  able  to  fly  in  the  beginning  of  July ;  not  often  seen  in  the  woods; 
common  on  Hudson's  Bay  (Bell).  Ossowa:  Common;  breeding;  1885, 
first  seen,  one,  on  March  29;  next  seen,  April  10;  became  common 
April  16;  last  seen,  one,  on  December  12  (Wagner).  1884,  arrived 
cud  of  March ;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  Marcli  28 ;  next  seen  on  29th ; 
became  common  ou  April  10;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small). 
Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  summer  resi  dent ;  arrive  at  the  end  of 
March ;  depart  about  the  middle  of  October ;  in  .1884,  first  seen  April 
4 ;  usually  these  birds  come  before  the  snow  goes,  bnt  were  late  this 
year  (Nash).  Carberry :  Abundant  in  migration  only  ;  summer  resi- 
dent; breeding  at  Fairview  aad  at  Binscarth  (Thompson).  Brandon: 
Two  on  April  10, 1887  (Wood).  Daltou ;  1889,  first  seen,  three  or  four, 
on  March  27 ;  next  seen  on  March  28 ;  became  common  on  April  8 ; 
breeds  here  (Youmans).  Common  on  the  Western  Plains  (Maconn). 
Shell  River:  First  seen,  five,  on  April  3;  seen  every  day  afterwards; 
common  summer  resid:>nt;  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Two  Rivers :  1885, 
first  seen,  two,  on  April  2 ;  next  seen,  April  3,  when  it  became  common ; 
ninety-one  seen  in  one  flight;  fairly  common  and  breeds  here  (Criddle). 
Qn'Appelle:  Common;  breeds  April  1  to  5  (Guernsey).  Trout  Lake 
Station  (Murray).    Common  all  winter  at  Carleton  (Blakiston). 

On  June  27,  1882,  at  Fairview,  found  a  crow's  nest  in  a  poplar  tree. 
It  contained  four  fully  fledged  young  ones.  The  old  birds  were  very 
much  excited.  They  flew  about,  cawiug  loudly.  One  of  them  alighted 
several  times  on  a  branch  but  6  feet  above  my  head,  and,  while  cawing, 
or  rather  croaking,  vigorously  seized  a  twig  in  her  bill  and  worried  at 
it  in  a  most  savage  manner,  as  though  to  indicate  the  treatment  she 
would  be  glad  to  have  me  receive,  fler  voice  during  this  curious  per- 
formance was  almost  like  a  growl.  Having  noted  that  the  nest  was  a 
remarkably  strong,  warm  structure,  and  that  the  eyes  of  the  young 
crows  were  blue-gray,  I  left  the  family  in  peace  once  more. 

On  August  30,  1883,  on  the  road,  I  saw  a  flock  of  about  two  hundred 
crows ;  they  appeared  to  be  migrating.  They  were  remarkably  tame 
and  let  me  approach  them  within  10  feet ;  of  course  I  had  no  gun.  With 
the  flock  were  two  brown  harriers ;  once  or  twice  I  saw  one  of  them 
make  a  sort  of  a  stoop  at  a  crow,  but  the  latter  took  but  little  notice 
beyond  moving  a  little  further  off.  Later  in  the  day  I  saw  another 
flock  of  about  thirty  crows,  and  with  them  one  brown  harrier,  who 
quite  behaved  as  though  he  were  a  reputable  member  of  the  crow 
community. 

On  September  7,  a  boy  brought  me  a  living  crow  that  he  had  winged ; 


570 


THE   BIBD8   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


its  apper  mandible  was  bent  in  the  middle  at  right  angles  nearly  and 
pointed  downward,  crossing  the  other,  which  was  straight  at  one  side. 
I  kept  it  alive  to  see  how  it  fed ;  it  was  able  to  pick  up  bread  from  tLe 
floor,  but  at  each  bite  it  had  to  turn  its  head,  with  the  crown  to  tlio 
ground ;  when  killed  it  proved  to  be  quite  fat. 

On  June  6, 1884,  at  Binscarth,  on  the  Upper  Assiniboine,  I  found  a 
crow's  nest  in  a  bluff  of  poplar  trees.  It  was  in  a  crotch  of  a  lai-ge 
poplar,  about  8  feet  from  the  ground,  and  was  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful specimens  of  bird  architecture  I  ever  examined,  excluding,  of  course, 
all  pensile  nests.  It  was  a  large  structure  of  sticks,  twigs,  and  bark 
strips,  with  a  very  deep  cavity  lined  with  flue  fibers  and  beautifully 
finished  off  with  a  coating  of  cow's  hair.    It  contained  four  eggs. 

Ha  ha  sou  :  The  crow.  These  birds  are  plenty  inland  but  seldom  appear  on  the 
coast.  *  *  *  This  bird  is  migratory.  (Hatohins  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hud- 
son's Bay,  1782.) 

163.  Doliohonyx  oryzivorua  albinucha.    Western  Bobolink.    Whito-naped  Bob- 
olink. 

Carberry :  Specimens  are  referred  by  Mr.  Bidgway  to  the  form 
albinucha^  therefore  I  assume  this  to  be  the  form  throughout.  Com- 
mon summer  resident  on  the  prairies;  at  Pembina,  breeding  in  large 
numbers,  and  westward  along  the  boundary  to  the  mountains  (Cones). 
North  to  Selkirk  Settlement  (Hidgway).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resi- 
ident;  abundant  (Hine^.  Stony  Mountain:  In  every  little  bluff  of 
aspen  or  willow  the  beautiful  rice  bird  {Dolichonyx  oryzivorus)  was 
seen  or  heard  (Hine).  Ossowa:  Breeding  (Wagner).  Oak  Point: 
1884,  arrived  May  23  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common  sum- 
mer resident ;  arrives  about  the  20th  of  May ;  departs  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember; in  1884,  first  seen,  June  1 ;  last  seen,  July  22 ;  at  this  date  they 
were  changing  their  plumage  and  gathering  into  flocks  (Nash).  Car- 
berry:  Common  summer  resident  near  Turtle  Mountain;  near  Long 
Biver  (Thompson).  Dalton:  1889,  first  seen,  five,  on  May  22;  breeds 
here  (Toumans).  Quite  common  on  the  prairies  in  Manitoba,  from 
Grand  Valley  to  Cypress  Bills  (Macoun).  Shell  Biver:  1885,  first 
seen,  one,  male,  on  May  18;  next  seen,  ten,  on  May  24;  is  common  all 
summer  and  breeds  here;  nest  with  six  eggs  found  (Calcutt).  Qu'Ap- 
pelle:  Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  May  15 
(Guernsey). 

July  25,  1884:  Bobolinks  still  in  breeding  plumage  at  Carberry, 
although  at  Portage  la  Prairie  I  noted  them  changing  three  days  ago, 
but  early  in  August  the  change  takes  place,  and  Bob  discards  his  mot- 
ley and  bells.  The  play  is  over,  the  clown  of  the  pantomime  lays  aside 
his  license  and  livery,  and,  like  many  real  clowns  out  of  dress,  he  is  a 
very  serious  character.  He  is  now  silent,  or  only  utters  a  metallic 
<*  Jclink^  and  goes  very  intently  about  the  very  prosaic  business  of 
finding  oat  where,  with  least  trouble,  he  can  get  the  largest  meals. 


vol..  XIII,  1 

18M).    J 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


571 


)-naped  Bob- 


Tbtt  Bobolink  (DoUchonyx  oryzivorut)  is  of  conree  common.  I  saw  birds  in  both 
the  black  and  buff  plumage  together  at  Carberry  on  August  30.    (Christy.) 

Towards  the  end  of  July,  after  breeding,  these  birds  collect  into  large  flocks,  and 
the  old  males  change  their  plnmage.  They  then  leave  the  prairie  and  attack  the 
oat  fields,  doing,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Orackles  and  Redwing  Blackbirds,  an 
immense  ainonut  of  mischief.  After  the  oata  are  cut  they  resort  to  the  marshes, 
feeding  on  wild  rice,  etc.,  until  the  cool  nights  inform  them  it  is  time  to  leave. 
(Nash,inMSS.) 

164.  Molothrua  ater.    Cowbird. 

Abundant  sammer  resident  throughout  the  prairie  regions.  Abun- 
dant at  Pembina  and  westward  along  the  boundary  to  the  mountains 
(Coues).  Bed  River  Settlement  on  28th  April  (Blakiston).  Winnipeg : 
Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hiue).  Oak  Point :  1886,  arrived  April 
14;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  April  15;  is  cojnmon,  and  breeds  here 
(Small).  Ussowa:  Breeding  (Wagner).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common 
summer  resident;  altogether  too  abundant;  with  the  same  parasitical 
babits  in  nesting  as  elsewhere;  arrives  about  May  25;  departs  in  the 
early  part  of  October  (Nash).  Garberry :  Abundant  summer  resident 
on  the  prairies  ;  Souris  liiver,  May  (Thompson).  Common  everywhere 
on  the  prairies  (Macoun).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  five,  on  May 
14;  afterwards  seen  every  daj  all  summer;  is  common;  lays  eggs  in 
the  nests  of  the  Song  Sparrow  and  Yellow  Bird  (Calcntt).  Qu'Appelle: 
Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  April  20  (Guernsey). 

I  noticed  that  on  the  Big  Plain  the  cowbirds  disappear  for  a  time, 
apparently  joining  the  rusty  grackles  and  other  species  among  the 
swamps  and  wet  lands  until  after  the  attainment  of  the  fall  plumage, 
when  for  a  time  they  again  became  conspicuous,  aud  continue  about 
the  pastures  until  October. 

165.  XanthooephaluB  xanthooephalns.    Yellow-headed  Blackbird. 

Common  summer  resident  of  the  deeper  sloughs  of  the  prairie  regions. 
At  Pembina,  breeding  abundantly ;  Turtle  Mountain  and  Mouse  River 
at  the  boundary  (Coues).  Dufierin :  Arrived  between  April  25  and  30 
(Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Shoal 
Lake:  May  15, 1887,  very  abundant  (Christy).  North  to  fifty-eighth 
parallel,  but  not  to  eastward  of  Lake  Winnipeg  (Richardson).  Ossowa: 
Breeding  (Wagner).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  May  5  (Small).  Port- 
age la  Prairie :  Common  summer  resident;  arrives  about  May  1,  departs 
early  in  October;  in  1884,  main  body  arrived  May  6;  some  few  came 
before  this  (Nash).  Prairie  Portage  (Hind).  Carberry:  Rare  summer 
resident;  Brandon  (Thompson).  Two  Rivers:  1885,  first  seen,  two, 
on  May  1 ;  fairly  rare  (Criddle).  Dalton  :  1889,  first  seen,  two,  on  May 
4 ;  next  seen  on  May  10,  when  it  became  common ;  breeds  here  (You- 
mans).  Abundant  around  pools  and  marshes  from  Pembina  to  Winni- 
peg, in  sedgy  ponds,  west  to  Moose  Mountain ;  not  noted  in  Winne- 
pegoeis  region  (Maooun).  Shell  River :  1885,  first  seen,  one  male,  on  May 


^^•'■| 


111 


H  E 


572 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


1 ;  next  seen,  four  males,  on  May  3 ;  is  common  here  all  sammer  and 
breeds,  nesting  in  the  ballrashes  (Calcutt).  Qu'Apelle :  Common  sam- 
mer resident ;  breeds ;  arrives  April  18  (Guernsey.) 

The  voice  of  this  bird  is  somewhat  like  that  of  the  redwing,  bat  is 
more  varied,  and  in  many  of  its  intonations  presents  such  a  carious 
resemblance  to  the  human  voice  as  to  suggest  the  possibility  of  its 
learning  to  articulate  words.  Its  distribution  is  regulated  by  the 
amount  of  sedgy  marsh  in  a  neighborhood;  thus,  south  of  Winnipeg  it 
is  exceedingly  abundant,  and  at  Portage  la  Prairie  it  is  very  commou ; 
but  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Oarberry  it  is  the  least  common  of  tbo 
blackbirds.  In  its  nesting  and  general  habits  it  somewhat  resembles 
the  redwing,  but  is  more  terrestial  and  less  disposed  to  haunt  willow 
sloughs. 

Arrives  about  May  I ;  dep'arts  early  in  October.  A  frost  just  suflSclent  to  fortu  a 
tliin  coat  of  ice  on  standing  water,  on  the  night  of  October  6,  1884,  drove  out  tho 
whole  army  of  these  birds  and  all  kindred  species  that  roost  in  the  reedn 
of  the  sloughs.  I  watched  them  in  to  roost  that  evening,  as  usual,  but  at  day- 
light the  next  morning  they  had  gone,  leaving  only  a  few  straggling  grackles  behind. 

Does  not  occur  east  of  Long  Lake,  a  sheet  of  water  about  2*2  miles  west  of  Winni- 
peg, near  which  city  I  could  not  liud  it  or  hear  of  it,  although  the  country  seems  to 
be  Just  suited  to  its  want.    (Nash,  in  MSS.) 

166.    Agelaiua  phcBnioeus.    Red-winged  Blackbird.    Soldier  Blackbird. 

Abundant  summer  resident,  frequenting  the  willow-edged  sloughs. 
Pembina  (Coues).  Common  at  Red  River  Settlements  (D.  Gunn).  Red 
River  Settlement  on  April  26  (Blakiston).  Dufterin:  Arrived  between 
April  15  and  20  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant 
(Hine).  Ossowa:  Common;  breeding;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  April 
25;  next  seen  on  April  26;  became  common  April  28  (Wagner).  Oak 
Point:  1884,  arrived  April  14;  1885,  first  seen  April  18,  next  seen 
April  19;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Common  summer  resident ;  arrive  about  April  15 ;  depart  early  in  Oc- 
tober, though  in  1885  a  small  party  remained  here  until  nearly  the  mid- 
dle of  November,  long  after  everything  was  frozen  up;  they  frequented 
my  garden,  feeding  on  the  sunflower  seeds ;  when  these  were  exhausted 
I  saw  no  more  of  them ;  in  1884,  first  seen  April  22  (Nash)>  Very  com- 
mon in  willow  ponds  in  the  Winnepegosis  region  (Macoun).  Carberry : 
Abundant  summer  resident;  breeding  near  Shoal  Lake,  west  (Thomp- 
son). Two  Rivers:  1885,  first  seen,  several,  on  April  16;  next  seen, 
April  17;  became  common,  with  tw^o  other  species,  April  18  (Criddle). 
Dalton:  1880,  first  seen,  one,  on  April  13 ;  next  seen  on  April  15,  when 
it  l>ecame  common;  breeds  here  (Youmans).  Shell  River:  1885,  first 
seen,  thirty-one,  on  April  13 ;  afterwards  seen  every  day,  male  and  fe- 
male, in  flock  ;  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Caloutt).  Qu'Ap 
pelle :  Common  summer  resident ;  breeds ;  arrives  April  18  (Guernsey). 

June  11,  1882:  Went  in  the  morning  with  two  brothers  to  the  lake  in 
the  sand  bills  east  of  De  Winton  ;  saw  there  large  numbers  of  Marsh 


vol,.  XIII,  T 
1880.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


573 


1  '  I 


Terns  and  various  kinds  of  blackbirds.  I  was  unable,  from  the  depth 
of  the  water,  to  reach  the  place  where  the  terns  seemed  to  be  nesting, 
but  found  the  nest  of  the  Ked- winged  Blackbird  in  a  few  twigs  that 
projected  about  a  foot  above  the  water,  here  3  feet  deep,  and  some  10 
feet  from  the  shore.  I  saw  the  female  leave  the  nest,  so  that  the  iden- 
tification is  good.  The  male  did  not  put  in  an  appearance  at  all.  The 
nest  is  very  deep,  neat,  and  strong ;  it  is  suspended  from  about  a  dozen 
upright  twigs  and  is  built  much  like  that  of  a  Baltimore  Oriole,  but 
entirely  of  grass.  The  eggs,  four  in  number,  were  all  fresh  ;  one  was 
1  by  H,  pale  blue,  and  scrawled  over  with  most  curious  hieroglyphs  in 
brown- black  ink;  the  others  were  similar. 

On  August  9, 1884,  while  at  Humphrey's  Lake,  I  noticed  that  in  the 
redwing  colony  there,  although  females  and  young  birds  were  very  nu- 
merous, only  one  male  was  to  be  seen.  It  would  seem  that  the  males 
leave  the  scattered  breeding  places  and  repair  to  the  great  marshes  at 
this  season  and  later  on  the  females  follow  with  the  young. 

This  curioas  habit  is  said  to  belong  also  to  the  Boat-tailed  Grackle 
{Qui8caln8  major),  while  the  late  summer  disappearance  of  the  cowbirds 
may  be  a  propensity  somewhat  similar  in  its  nature. 

During  the  courting  season  the  male  Redwing  may  be  seen  approach- 
iug  the  female  in  most  beseeching  attitudes  and  giving  vocal  expression 
to  his  feelings  from  time  to  time,  while  his  wings  are  slightly  raised  and 
the  gorgeous  patch  of  scarlet  feathers  on  the  shoulder  expanded  so  as 
to  appear  thrice  as  large  as  under  ordinary  circumstances.  Doubtless 
he  is  as  much  indebted  to  the  latter  as  to  his  vocal  appeal  for  the  ulti- 
mate success  of  his  suit.    * 

The  usual  note  of  the  species  is  a  short,  harsh  "  chick^  but  it  is  often 
hoard  to  utter  a  shrill  whistle,  during  which  I  have  seen  the  bird  dash- 
ing straight  across  the  field  or  marsh  with  a  flight  so  steady  and  swift 
that  I  have  sometimes  wondered  for  a  minute  what  bird  it  was. 

The  "  song"  of  the  Redwing  is  a  sort  of  guttural  squeal ;  it  has  been 
happily  syllabilized  as  <'  conkque-ree.^^  The  effect  of  this,  when  uttered 
by  what  seemed  to  be  a  million  voices,  as  I  heard  it  among  the  reed-beds 
of  Portage  la  Prairie  slough,  is  not  unmusical,  and  to  the  naturalist  is 
pleasing  in  its  significance  of  the  multitudinous  life  about  him,  though 
it  must  be  confessed  that  the  granivorous  propensities  of  this  and  all 
other  blackbirds  leave  little  chance  of  the  farmers  finding  a  similar  en- 
joyment in  the  pleasant  aggregation  of  unpleasant  individual  notes. 

Shortly  after  the  end  of  August  all  the  species  disappeared  from  here, 
but  in  such  large  reed-beds  as  that  mentioned  above  they  gather  in  thou- 
sands and  linger  until  the  frost  drives  them  south,  about  the  middle  of 
October. 


167.  Bturnella  magna  negleota     Wcntern  Meadow  Lark.    Prairie  Lark. 

Abundant  summer  resident  of  the  prairies.     East  to  Pembina  (Ridg- 
way).    Pembina,  and  westward  along  the  boundary  to  the  Rockies;  com- 


674 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


mou  (Coues).  From  60  miles  south  of  Bed  River  Settlement  (Blakiston). 
Da£feriD:  Arrives  between  April  25  and  30  (Dawson).  Winnipeg: 
Summer  resident;  abundant  (Bine).  Ossowa:  Common  breeding;  1885, 
first  seen  on  April  6 ;  next  seen  April  15 ;  became  common  on  April 
19  (Wagner).  Sboal  Lake  (Gunn).  Sboal  Lake:  May  16, 1887  (Christy). 
Oak  Point :  1884,  arrive  May  17 ;  first  seen,  one,  on  April  9 ;  next  seen 
on  10th ;  became  common  on  13th ;  breed  here  (idmall).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Common  summer  resident;  arrives  about  April  10,  departs 
about  the  middle  of  October ;  in  1884,  first  seen,  April  15 :  in  1883  saw- 
it  in  March  (Nash).  Carberry  and  the  Big  Plain,  generally,  to  the 
Fingerboard;  common  summer  resident  near  Turtle  Mountain,  Brandon, 
Milford  (Thompison).  Abundant  on  the  prairie  along  the  route  marked ; 
not  seen  in  the  W^innipegosis  region  (Macoun).  Two  rivers:  1885,  first 
seen,  one,  on  April  16;  next  seen,  April  17;  fairly  common;  breeds 
(Criddle).  Dalton  :  1889,  first  seen  on  March  26 ;  next  seen  on  March 
28,  when  it  becamecummon ;  breeds  here  (Youmans).  Shell  River:  1885, 
first  seen,  one  male,  on  April  12 ;  a  common  summer  resident,  and  breeds 
here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  ar- 
rives April  5  ((iuernKey). 

April  17, 1882 :  The  i>rairies  are  showing  brown  in  places,  and  snow- 
banks are  settling  and  losing  their  whiteness,  through  the  grass  that 
begins  to  show  through  them.  Three  Meadow  Larks  alighted  on  the 
fence  to  day,  quite  near  to  me,  and  one  of  them  delighted  me  by  vocife- 
rating his  short  rich  song  with  a  beauty  I  neyer  before  heard. 

April  18:  On  Sunday  we  saw  a  few  Meadow  Larks  about;  on  Monday 
the  number  v^as  increased  and  an  occasional  jingle  was  heard ;  but  to- 
day (Tuesday)  at  dawn  scores  of  larks  had  appeared,  and,  as  if  by 
concert,  all  together  burst  into  an  explosion  of  splendid  song,  gushing 
out  their  rich,  strong  warblings  from  every  little  height  and  perch, 
singing  with  all  their  might;  singing,  as  if  under  p assure;  sing  they 
must;  iterched  on  a  fence,  perched  on  a  clod,  running  on  the  ground 
or  fiying  high  in  the  air,  they  sing  and  must  sing  aloud  for  the  spring ; 
singing  they  saw  the  dawn  and  the  noon  and  the  evening,  and  still 
they  sang  on  till  night  came  and  the  prairies  were  hidden  in  darkness, 
then  for  a  while  they  ceused  ;  but  the  rising  of  the  yellow  moon  above 
the  eastern  fringe  of  trees  was  loudly  hailed  by  many  of  the  joyous 
birds  and  greeted  with  a  renewal  of  this  morning's  burst  of  song. 

April  27 :  Fall  of  snow  last  night,  but  this  morning  it  changed  to 
rain,  and  by  10  a.  m.  no  snow  remained.  A  Meadow  Lark  contrived  to 
sing  in  all  the  pelting  shower ;  ue  was  not  100  yards  from  the  door;  so  I 
took  the  telesco|)e,  paper,  and  pencil  and  made  a  sketch  of  him. 

May  6:  Took  special  notes  on  the  position  of  Meadow  Larks  while 
singing  to-day.  Altogether,  1  observed  twelve  that  were  in  full  song; 
of  these,  nine  were  singing  on  trees,  two  in  the  air,  and  one  on  the 
groand.    Their  song,  when  on  the  wing,  is  entirely  difterent  from  that 


vol..  xin,T 
1880.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP  THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


575 


while  perching;  it  is  more  like  the  prolonged  trilling  of  the  English 
Skylark. 

Jane  4:  Found  a  Meadow  Lark's  nest  abont  3  yards  from  the  nest  of 
a  Prairie  Chicken.  This  latter  I  had  frequently  visited,  so  that  the 
lark  had  probably  watched  me  on  several  occasions  from  a  distance  of 
only  2  or  3  yards,  and  yet  had  not  betrayed  her  charge  by  flinching,  and 
most  likely  I  wonid  not  have  found  it  had  I  not  chanced  to  step  nearly 
on  it.  This  nest  now  contained  young  ones.  I  watched  them  until 
June  17,  when  I  found  they  had  hown. 

On  June  2, 1883, 1  saw  four  Meadow  Larks  all  fighting,  and  at  the 
same  time  singing  in  the  air  together.  It  was  a  curious  competition 
and  lasted  for  a  minute  or  more;  then  down  into  the  grass  they  dived 
eu  masse,  thereto  continue  for  several  minutes  their  noisy  battle  for  the 
mastery.  Possibly  one  of  the  number  may  have  been  a  female,  for 
whose  favors  the  rest  were  competing. 

On  July  30,  Miller  Christy  shot  a  young  Meadow  Lark,  a  male; 
stomach  filled  with  insects,  apparently  all  coleoptera ;  it  had  very  little 
yellow  on  the  breast,  and  the  crescent  was  represented  only  by  a  few 
streaks.  On  its  breast  was  an  ulcer  that  nearly  reached  the  bone;  ap- 
parently it  had  been  caused  by  a  barb  of  a  wire  fence,  against  which 
the  bird  must  have  flown  within  the  last  fortnight. 

Plain  Boath  of  Shoal  Lake,  June  22,  1867:  lu  pua^iiifi:  over  the  plain  we  Hhot  a 
Meadow  Lark.  These  birds  are  found  in  pairs  along  the  Red  River  to  the  end  of  the 
]>lains,  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  Assiniboine.  Tliey  appear  in  pairs  in  May,  gener- 
ally perched  on  a  low  tree,  willow,  or  reed.  They  are  very  watchful,  seldom  allowing 
the  hunter  the  chanoe  of  a  fair  shot.    (D.  Gunu.) 

THE  SONG  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  LARK. 

[RepK'  iioed  from  (be  American  MagaKine,  April,  1867.] 

How  often  and  often  we  hear  the  hackneyed  statement,  "  America 
hits  none  but  scentless  flowers  and  songless  birds,**  and  how  invariably 
we  find  that  it  proceeds  from  persons  whose  ideas  of  birds  and  flowers 
are  gathered  wholly  from  books  and  magazines,  and  these  chiefly  of 
European  origin !  There  are  many  able  writers  ready  and  willing  to  do 
justice  to  the  beauty  and  the  fragrance  of  our  numberless  wild  flowers, 
but  those  whose  opportunities  an<l  dispositions  enable  them  perfectly 
to  observe  and  completely  to  record  what  of  bird  song  comes  within 
their  ken  are  few  in  number.  For  this  reason  I  wish  to  give  publicity 
to  my  observation  of  the  Western  Meadow-lark — the  sweet  singer  of 
the  plains,  and  the  moMt  gifted  of  American  feathered  muHioians. 

For  years  the  skylark  of  England  was  my  familiar  friend,  and  his 
glorious  song  was  my  daily  joy.  Many  times  have  1  heard  the  famed 
nightingale  singing  by  moonlight  and  by  daylight  in  the  shady  woods 
of  BaffVon  Walden,  in  Essex,  and  nearly  all  the  noted  songsters  of 
England  became  more  or  less  familiar  during  a  Hojourn  of  several  years 
us  a  stranger  in  my  niitivo  land.    Then  came  a  change  that  brought 


■ 


I 


ili 


676 


THE   BIRDS  OP  MANITOBA — ^THOMPSON. 


'I 


me  once  again  among  the  birds  of  my  boyhood — those  of  Canada,  my 
home — and  also  for  the  first  time  enabled  me  to  hear  the  song  which 
has  given  me  snch  unalloyed  delight. 

It  was  springtime  in  Manitoba;  the  season  of  blizzards  was  nearly 
past,  but  the  prairies  were  still  buried  deeply  out  of  sight,  and  the 
north  wind  was  yet  howling  over  the  plains.  We  were  looking  fur 
signs  of  spring,  but  I  was  not  prepared  to  hear,  from  the  very  boHom 
of  a  gale,  a  loud,  melodious  chant,  short  and  sweet  oh — how  sweet  after 
the  long  silent  months  of  winter!  "There's  the  lark!"  cried  my 
more  experienced  brother.  Yes,  it  was  the  lark,  the  herald  and  kiiif^ 
of  the  host  of  singers  that  were  now  at  length  coming  home  again  from 
the  south.  As  I  knew  the  Meadow  Lark  of  eastern  America,  and  was 
acquainted  with  its  short  and  rather  ordinary  song,  the  ascription  of 
such  a  burst  of  melody  to  a  Meadow  Lark  seemed  rather  surprising; 
but  before  that  summer  was  over  I  had  found  out  that  the  prairie  bird 
is  very  widely  different  in  voice,  powers,  habits  and  all  but  appearance 
from  his  near  kinsman  in  the  east. 

On  the  day  after  the  initial  spring  greeting  the  weather  was  pleas- 
anter;  other  larks  were  to  be  seen,  and  an  occasional  warble  was  heard. 
The  next  day  at  dawn  scores  of  larks  had  appeared,  and  as  if  by  con- 
cert, all  together  burst  into  a  splendid  explosion  of  song,  pouring  out 
their  rich,  strong  voices  from  every  little  height  and  perch,  singing 
with  all  their  might.  Standing  on  a  clod,  running  on  the  ground,  or 
flying  high  in  the  air,  they  sing  and  mmt  sing  aloud  for  the  spring. 
The  dawn,  the  noon,  the  evening  passed,  and  still  they  sang;  not  till 
uight  came  on  and  black  darkness  covered  the  plain,  did  they  for  a 
while  cease ;  but  the  rising  of  the  yellow  moon  above  the  eastern  fringe 
of  trees  was  loudly  hailed  by  many  of  the  joyous  birds,  and  greeted 
with  a  renewal  of  their  morning  bursts  of  song. 

All  through  that  spring  and  summer  1  had  ample  opportunities  of 
hearing  and  studying  the  music  of  the  delightful  Prairie  Lark.  Nor 
did  [  forget  to  make  what  record  I  could  of  his  varied  chants,  that  1 
might  more  accurately  describe  them  afterward.  Some  of  them  I  give 
in  musical  notation,  though  indeed  the  bird  does  not  sing  strictly  in  the 
music  of  our  scale,  nor  does  there  usually  appear  to  be  any  true  recog- 
nition of  time. 

The  first,  the  short  warble  of  spring-time,  is  nearly  thus ; 


^^#-^^^ 


•\v 


Varied  and  replaced  by  another: 


#^i^&A 


VOL.  XIII,"! 


1890.     I  PHOCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 

Or  oue  yet  more  characteristic; 


677 


E*tt-m^-^ 


^ii 


Aud  also,  as  the  soason  advances,  by  a  third  and  longer  chant: 


d^&>Et*^ 


These  bars,  reprodnced  on  a  tlute,  will  suggest  witli  fair  accuracy  the 
mere  notes  of  the  song;  but  they  can  not  sugf  st  the  bleak  prairie 
scene  nor  the  blizzard  tliat  fails  to  drown  the  singer's  voice;  nor  the 
long,  sih3nt  months  gone  by,  without  wiiich  tlie  life  and  meaning  aud 
true  feeling  of  tlie  stirring  call  can  not  be  understoo<l. 

As  the  full  springtime  comes  on,  the  number  of  tliese  short  chants 
is  greatly  increased,  whilst  their  prolongations  and  variations  are  with- 
out number;  ami  soon  it  becomes  evident  to  the  most  casual  observer 
that  the  love-tires  are  kindling,  ami  that  each  musician  is  striving  to 
the  utmost  of  his  powers  to  surpass  all  rivals  and  win  the  lady  lark  of 
his  choice.  On  one  occasion,  as  I  lay  in  hiding  near  a  fence,  three  larks 
came  skimming  over  the  plain.  They  alighted  within  a  few  yards  of 
me,  and  two  of  them  burst  into  song,  sometimes  singing  together  and 
sometimes  altermitely,  but  the  third  was  silent.  When  at  last  they 
tlew  up  I  noticed  that  the  silent  one  and  one  of  the  singers  kept  together. 
I  had  been  witness  to  a  musical  tournament  and  the  victor  had  won  his 
bride. 

Nor  does  the  love-flro  languish  after  uniting;  for  now  the  lark  is  in- 
spired anew,  an<l  springing  up  from  the  grass  he  soars  high  in  the  air 
and  pours  forth  a  rhapsody  that  seems  to  Hood  the  very  plains  with 
sound — ringing  and  bursting;  richer  far  than  song  of  nightingale;  pro- 
longed like  the  skylark's  melody;  wild  with  passion  and  ttre,  ajul  more 
varied  than  tongue  or  type  can  tell.  Olteu  have  1  tried  to  record  the 
changing  bars  of  music,  but  never  with  any  but  the  most  trilling  suc- 
cess. A  few  of  the  notes  were  caught,  but  the  volume  of  the  song  was 
far  beyond  the  power  of  symbol  or  .staif  to  represent.  Conuuonly  the 
refrain  began  with  a  part  nearly  thus: 

Allegro.  5^^  ^^^^ 

succeeded  after  several  repetitions  by  another: 


Proc.  N.  M.  UO- 


"'    I. 


578 


THE    BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


All  after  that  was  a  torrent  of  melody  beyoud  any  mode  of  expression 
at  my  command,  until  the  tiual  bar  with  flute-like  clearuess  is  rendered 
and  repeated : 


^^^ 


ami  then  the  singer  sails  downward  to  the  prairie  where  sits  the  one 
for  whom  alone  was  meant  this  passionate  strain. 

There  is  yet  one  more  type  of  song  with  this  bird.  It  is  a  prolonged 
tender  warbling,  quite  unlike  the  far-reaching  cbants,  for  it  is  so  low 
and  soft  that  at  a  hundred  yards  distance  it  becomes  inaudible.  I  have 
heard  it  only  a  few  times,  and  then  it  was  uttered  by  the  male  bird, 
standing  on  some  low  perch  not  far  removed  from  the  nest  where  his 
less  musical  though  not  less  beautiful  mate  was  brooding. 

Throughout  the  nesting  season  the  air-song  and  the  gentle  conjugal 
refrain  may  be  heard  in  full  strength,  for  love  is  the  life  of  their 
melody;  but  after  the  young  have  flown  these  are  heard  no  more, 
though  still  the  shorter  lays  are  uttered  daily  i'ud  hourly  from  the 
few  low  perches  ottered  by  the  prairie. 

During  the  heat  of  summer,  when  other  birds  tare  hushed,  the  Prairio 
Lark  continues  in  song  both  by  day  and  by  night;  and  even  when  chill 
October  draws  nigh,  he  still  lingers  on  the  prairies  and  warbles  in  the 
brown  grass  with  much  of  the  power  and  sweetness  of  springtime.  The 
latest  seasonal  observation  that  I  have  of  the  bird  was  of  one  singing  a 
farewell  to  the  already  snow- whitened  plains  late  in  October,  after  which 
he  took  wing,  and  I  watched  him  till  out  of  sight  in  the  southern  sky. 

How  comes  it  that  this  prince  of  songsters  has  so  long  continued 
almost  unknown?  Why  are  we  of  the  new  world  so  heedless  of  our 
native  singers?  Had  such  a  voice  beeu  brought. forth  in  Italy,  its 
praises  would  have  furnished  a  worthy  theme  to  many  t:  uoble  pen : 

And  Ovid,  could  ho  but  bavo  heard, 

Had  huug  a  h-goudary  puin, 
About  tho  nioiitiou  of  tho  bird. 

True,  I  find  on  reference  to  standard  works  of  natural  history'  brief 
notes  in  connection  with  our  bird,  such  as  "  One  of  the  most  delightful 
voices  of  the  prairie  "  (Cones) ;  "  Impressed  by  its  wonderful  beauty  of 
song"  (Brewer);  "Their  songs  are  lively,  sweet,  and  varied;  they 
sing  at  all  seasons,  early  and  late,  from  the  ground,  from  tho  tree-top, 
and  in  the  air"  (Cooper);  "Highly  musical,  contending  even  with  the 
mocking-bird  for  suinemacy  in  song"  (Lieutenant  Couch);  "In  the 
depth  of  its  tone  and  the  charms  of  its  articulation  its  song  is  hardly 
excelled  "  (Hidgway). 

And  yet  HO  inadeciuate  is  the  power  of  mere  words,  that,  though  1  had 
previously  reail  these  opinions,  I  was  wholly  taken  by  surprise  when 


niainiii; 
diHirict 
couiitri 
II  lid  an 
nninbci 

StittOH. 

muUow 


VOL.  XIII,  T 
1800.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


579 


first  ou  the  prairies  of  the  Assinaboiue  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Meadow- 
Lark  of  the  West. 

One  writer  compares  it  w  Ji  the  rich- voiced  wood-thrush ;  another, 
with  the  gifted  mocking-bird,  aud  again  parts  of  its  song  have  been 
likened  to  the  soft  warbling  of  the  blue  bird.  But  nearly  all  of  thib 
qualified  praise  is  from  the  pen  of  passing  travelers,  few  of  whom 
have,  like  the  writer,  spent  season  after  season  with  the  bird,  hearing 
its  spring  greeting  and  its  fall  farewell,  resting  so  near  to  its  nest  as 
to  hear  its  vesper  warble,  its  midnight  song  of  pea6e,  and  its  salute  to 
dawning  day.  Few  have  actually  witnessed  the  song  contests  of  the 
rivsil  birds,  and  fewer  still  have  overheard  tbtj  soft  consoling  lay  of  the 
male  to  his  sitting  mate. 

In  listening  to  each  of  these  \raried  effusions  again  and  again,  I  have 
been  peculiarly  fortunate,  and  each  season  spent  on  the  prairies  has 
intensified  the  admiration  I  felt  for  onr  bird ;  for,  though  indeed  it 
will  not  compare  with  the  skylark  in  continuity  of  inspiration,  it  is 
second  to  nothing  else.  In  richness  of  voice  and  modulation  it  equals 
or  excels  both  wood-thrush  and  nightingale,  and  in  the  power  and 
beauty  of  its  articulation  it  has  no  superior  in  the  whole  world  of  feath- 
ered choristers  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  The  more  I  heard  of  its 
melody  the  deeper  was  the  admiration  with  which  it  inspired  me,  until 
at  length  T  have  learned  to  look  on  our  lark  as  the  noblest  of  bird- 
musicians,  and  the  very  incarnation  of  the  wild,  free  spirit  of  the 
West. 

No  bird  is  more  charftctci  tic  of  the  prairies  than  the  Meadow-lark  (SturHella 
neoh'cia).  It  is  very  couiiudii  in  HUiumcr  aud  brecda  abuudautly.  Its  clear,  niuHical 
whistle  (almost,  if  not  (luito  equal  lo  the  song  of  the  nightingale)  is  uttered  by  the 
birtl  either  when  upon  the  wing,  the  ground,  or  a  tree,  and  may  be  heard  for  a  great 
distance.  Towards  the  end  of  August,  though  the  birds  had  not  left,  they  had 
largely  ceased  whistling  ;  but  the  arrival  of  a  few  warm  days,  about  the  10th  of 
September,  set  theiu  oil'  again  for  a  time.  When  I  left,  about  the  middle  of  October, 
there  were  still  a  few  small  family  parties  about,  though  the  groat  majority  had 
gone  south.  It  is  decidedly  a  shy  bird,  oven  in  a  country  where  most  birds  are  nota- 
bly less  waiy  than  in  England ;  and,  common  as  the  bird  is,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to 
obtain  a  specimen  just  when  one  wants.  Latein  July  Ishot  a  young  specimou  witha 
large  festering  sore  on  its  breast,  doubtless  caused  by  its  having  accidentally  llown 
against  a  spike  on  one  of  the  numerous  "  barb-wire  "  fences  on  which  this  bird  fre- 
quently perches.  Not  long  after  I  shot  a  I'urple  Gracklo  with  an  old  wound  on  its 
head,  which  was  probably  occasioned  by  the  same  means.  I  have  often  thought 
what  a  capital  thing  it  would  be  to  introduce  the  Meadow  Lark  into  England.  So 
far  as  plumage  and  song  arc  concerned,  it  would  take  rank  among  our  brightest 
colored  aud  most  adniire«l  Mongsters  :  while  its  hardy  nature  would  allow  of  its  re- 
maining with  ns  the  whole  year  round,  as  indeed  it  often  docs  in  Ontario  and  other 
districts  farther  south  than  Manitoba.  I'erli'clly  hannlessnnd  accustomed  to  grassy 
countries,  it  would  quickly  become  naturali/ed  in  our  meadows,  where  it  would 
tind  an  abundance  of  insect  food,  and  would  doubtless  soon  increase  sutliciently  in 
nnmbers  to  serve,  if  need  be,  as  a  game  and  food  binl,  asit  largely  does  in  the  United 
States.  No  other  songster  that  I  ever  heard  equals  this  bird  iu  the  swoetuoss  aud 
muUowuess  of  its  uotoa.    (Cluiaty.) 


:•      '^. 


580 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


I   i 


nm 


168.  Icterus  spurlus.    Orobard  Oriole. 

Quo  malo  speciineu,  June  G,  1873,  at  PembiDu,  the  only  locality  where 
observed  (Coues). 

169.  Icterus  geilbula.    Baltimore  Oriole. 

Goinnion  summer  resident  of  open  woodlands  in  the  south  and  west. 
Abundant  at  Pembina;  breeding;  the  only  locality  where  found  along 
the  line  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant;  found  not 
quite  so  far  north  as  the  Hose- breasted  Grosbeak  (Hiue).  Oak  Point: 
1884,  arrived  May  25;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  19;  is  common  and 
breeds  hero  (Small).  Ossowa:  Common;  breeding;  1885,  tirst  seen, 
two,  on  May  15 ;  next  seen  on  May  17 ;  became  common  on  May  19 
(Wagner).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  summer  resident ;  arrives  about 
May  20;  in  1884,  first  seen.  May  27  (Nash).  Carberry:  Common  sum- 
mer resident  (Thompson).  Very  common  in  woods  around  Lake  Mani- 
toba (Macoun).  Shell  Kiver:  1885,  first  seen,  one  male,  on  May  16; 
next  seen,  four,  on  May  18;  is  common  here  all  summer  and  breeds 
(Caleutt).  (Ju'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives 
May  18  (Guernsey). 

On  June  25,  1882,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  eastern  slough,  I  found 
a  Baltimore  Oriole's  nest  in  an  oak  tree,  about  10  feet  high.  As  I  was 
climbing  the  tree  the  female  bird  flitted  about,  uttering  a  loud,  harsh 
chatter;  as  she  often  came  close  to  my  head  1  had  good  opportunity  of 
viewing  her  graceful  form  and  rich  yellow  plumage,  and  I  thought  her 
the  most  beautiful  bird  I  had  ever  seen,  until  a  moment  later  her  splen- 
did mate  flaslicd  into  view  on  an  adjoining  bough,  and  stood  there 
blazing  in  the  sun.  He  was  much  less  bold  than  his  mate,  and  did  not 
chattel'  in  the  same  way,  but  uttered  a  loud  "imhee^'  like  a  fragment  of 
his  song. 

This  nest  was  about  4  inches  deep.  It  was  formed  of  the  outer  bark 
of  the  Aselepias,  and  so  thoroughly  interwoven  and  "darned"  thattlie 
fabric  was  like  a  thick  warm  felt.  It  was  remarkably  strong,  too,  and 
with  a  view  to  testing  it  in  this  particular  I  brought  it  home  with  the 
branch  that  bore  it,  and,  having  hung  to  it  a  pail  by  a  band  across  the 
upper  surface,  proceeded  to  add  weight.  Fifteen  pounds  was  gradually 
added  without  its  showin*]^  any  signs  ofbreaking,  but  at  the  seventeenth 
the  weight  slipped  to  one  side,  and  being  thrown  upon  but  one  of  the  fas- 
tenings, broke  it.  I  then  procured  another  nest,  an  old  one  of  the  same 
material,  and  tried  it  successively  with  15,  20,  25,  27  pounds,  and  still 
it  held  togetiier;  29  and  30  were  reached  without  breakage,  but  at  31 
it  began  to  give,  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  weight  tore  through  the 
fabric,  without,  however,  injuring  the  fastenings  at  the  top. 

On  October  19  found  an  old  nest  of  an  oriole  down  by  the  slough. 
It  was  woven  of  strips  of  Aselepias  bark  and  suspended  from  four  or 
five  twigs.    I  made  a  careful  test  of  its  strength  and  fouud  that  it  bore 


171. 


|^ji;:i'4 


VOL.  xm.T 

1880.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


581 


15  pounds  weight  without  the  least  sign  of  breaking,  but  <an  additional 
2  pounds,  thrown  carelessly  on,  tore  it  from  its  fastenings. 

170.  Scolecophagus  carolinus.    Rusty  Blackbird. 

Enormously  abundant  migrant.  Pembina  (Smithsonian  Institution) 
(Blakiston).  Very  abundant  at  Mouse  Kiver,  on  the  boundary,  after 
the  second  week  of  September  (Cones).  Duiierin  :  Arrives  before  April 
15  (Dawson).  Morris:  April  29,  1887  (Christy).  Ossowa:  1885,  first 
seen,  one,  on  April  8 ;  next  seen  on  April  16 ;  became  common  April  20 ; 
last  seen,  about  twelve,  on  October  24  (Wagner).  Very  abundant  during 
the  spring  migrations,  and  again  from  August  to  the  middle  of  October ; 
arrive  about  the  lOtli  of  April ;  some  of  these  birds  may  remain  to  breed 
in  this  locality,  but  I  have  not  found  them  so  engaged  (Nash).  Very 
abundant  on  Swan  River  in  September,  1881  (Macouu).  Carberry : 
Extremely  abundant  in  the  migration ;  liat  Portage :  October  (Thomp- 
son). Severn  House ;  Trout  Lake  Station,  the  most  northerly  species 
(Murray). 

April  15,  1882:  Snow  still  deep  everywhere,  but  melting  fast.  In  the 
poplars  along  the  slough  side  to-day  was  a  large  flock  of  Rusty  Grackles. 
They  were  singing  together  their  loud,  jingling,  spring  notes,  and  the 
sound  was  like  a  chorus  of  innumerable  sleigh  bells. 

April  21 :  The  thousands  of  Grackles  have  been  increased  to  tens  of 
thousands.  They  blacken  the  fields  and  cloud  the  air.  The  bare  trees 
on  which  they  alight  are  foliated  by  them.  Their  incessant  jingling 
songs  drown  the  music  of  tlie  Meadow  Larks  aiul  produce  a  dreamy, 
far-away  effect,  as  of  myriads  of  distant  sleigh  bells.  Mixed  with  the 
flocks  of  Busty  Grackles  now  are  a  few  Iledwinged  Blackbirds. 


171.  SoolecophaguB  cyanooephalus.    Brewer's  Blackbird. 

headed  Blackbird. 


Satin-bird.    Blue- 


Abandant  summer  resident.  Pembina  (Kennicott).  Abundant  along 
the  boundary,  from  Pembina  to  the  Bockies  ;  breeding  (Coues).  Win- 
nipeg: Summer  resident ;  abundant  (Iline).  Ossowa:  Common;  breed- 
ing (Napull).  Carberry:  Abundant  summer  resident;  breeding.  Big 
Boggy  Creek:  Common;  breeding  (Thompson).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
These  birds  commit  fearfnl  depredations  in  the  oat  and  wheat  fields  after 
the  grain  is  ripe,  particularly  if  grown  near  the  woods  or  a  marsh  (Nash). 

On  June  8, 1882,  C.  T.  found  a  grackle's  nest  on  the  newly  harrowed 
ground  in  a  field  not  more  than  20  yards  from  a  clump  of  willows. 
The  eggs,  five  in  number,  were  in  a  slight  hollow  in  the  ground,  with- 
out a  single  straw  or  any  pretence  at  lining.  My  brother  sprang  the 
bird  and  then  called  me.  I  did  not  see  the  bird  rise,  but  a  pair  of 
grackles  were  flying  about  and  noisily  resented  our  interference,  and  as 
no  other  birds  were  near,  I  feel  sate  in  the  identification. 

On  June  21,  while  walking  by  the  south  slough,  I  came  upon  two 
grackles  that  were  at  great  pains  to  inform  me  that  their  nest  was  close 


I;  J 


582 


THE   BIRDS  OF  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


:1       i-^ 


at  haiid,  and  also  that  my  presence  was  most  unwelcome.  I  at  oucu 
set  about  seeking  the  treasure  house,  and  found  my  ablest  assistants  in 
the  birds  themselves,  for,  as  little  children  playing  at  hide  and  seek 
direct  each  other  by  crying  "hot"  or  "cold,"  so  these  grackles  guided 
me,  ceasing  their  clamor  somewhat  as  I  receded,  and  redoubling  their 
outcries  when  I  approached  the  site  of  their  nest.  In  this  way  I  soon 
found  it.  It  was  placed  on  the  ground  in  the  open,  sheltered  only  by 
a  few  weeds ;  it  was  a  bulky  structure,  composed  chiefly  of  roots,  but 
lined  with  hair.  It  contained  three  eggs  of  the  grackles  and  one  of  a 
cowbird.  I  have  never  before  heard  of  a  cowbird  intruding  its  found- 
ling on  a  species  larger  than  itself. 

September  IS,  1882:  September  is  going  fast  now;  in  the  early 
mornings  the  sky  has  a  cold  steel-blue  look  along  <.Iic  horizon,  and  the 
clouds  that  come  up  are  white  and  lumpy  looking.  We  are  expecting 
frost  soon,  for  many  signs  announce  that  the  fall  is  here  and  passing 
quickly.  Already  the  grackles  are  gathered  in  the  immense  flocks  in 
which  they  migrate,  and  are  even  now  moving  southward.  Wo 
thought  them  numerous  in  the  spring,  but  they  seem  to  be  ten  times  as 
plentiful  now.  The  sound  of  their  wings  as  they  arise  or  fly  overhead 
is  like  the  noise  of  rushing  breakers ;  it  is  not  at  all  like  thunder,  as 
some  have  described  it,  but  resembles  the  rattling  shr-aaay  of  surf  on 
the  shingly  beach.  The  murmur  is  so  continuous  as  to  suggest  the 
roar  of  a  watei'fall,  and,  as  in  that,  there  is  a  beat  in  this,  thus: 
shrdrd-rdrdrd,  etc.,  making  the  resemblance  still  more  perfect.  Their 
loud  crek-creVs  also  combine  to  form  a  great  sound ;  it  does  not  unite 
with  noise  o*"  the  wings,  but  remains  sharp  .and  separate  on  the  vaster 
volume,  just  as  the  black  dots  and  wriggles  sometimes  seen  on  their 
eggs  remain  separate  and  contrasting  with  the  purple  mottlings, 
though  occupying  the  same  ground. 

This  grackle  is  generally  distributed  throughout  the  Assiniboine  Val- 
ley. It  arrives  and  moves  so  constantly  with  the  Busty  Grackle  that 
it  was  but  lately  I  learned  to  distinguish  them,  and  my  previous  im- 
pression on  the  subject  of  their  specific  distinction  negatived  the  value 
of  a  number  of  observations. 

The  dozen  of  nests  of  this  species  which  I  have  examined  were  all 
either  on  the  ground  or  in  low  forks  or  saddled  on  logs,  close  to  some 
pond,  and  were  Miore  or  less  composed  of  nmd  when  elevated.  I  found 
half  a  dozen  nests  around  a  single  small  lake  on  the  Duck  Mountain. 
The  eggs  are  in  color  between  those  of  the  Rusty  and  Purple  Grackles. 


172.  QulsoaluB  quiscula  aeneus.    Bronzed  Gracklo.    Crow  Blackbird. 

Abundant  summer  resident  wherever  there  is  both  wood  and  water. 
Abundant  at  Pembina;  breeding;  Mouse  River  (Coues).  Winnipeg: 
Summer  resident ;  abundant  (Hine).  Red  River  Settlement  (Gunn). 
Ossowa:  Breeding  (Wagner).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  April  10; 
1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  April  IG ;  next  seen  on  April  18,  when  large 


VOL.  XIII, 
1890. 


] 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


583 


*t  ouce 
ants  in 
d  seek 
guided 
Iff  their 
I  soon 
only  by 
ots,  but 
me  of  a 
found- 


flocks  came;  is  coinmon  and  breeds  liero  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie : 
Very  coniniou  summer  resident ;  arrives  about  April  15,  departs  early  in 
October,  the  first  frost  hard  enough  to  form  ice  driving  them  out;  first 
seen  in  1884,  April  10  (Nash).  Very  abundant  about  ponds  in  the 
Northwest  (Macoun).  Oarberry:  Common  summer  resident;  breeding; 
Dnck  Mountains;  common;  breeding  (Thompson).  Dalton:  1889, 
first  seen,  four,  on  April  8 ;  next  seen,  April  12,  when  it  became  com- 
mon ;  breeds  here  (\'oumans).  Shell  River :  1885,  first  seen,  seventeen, 
on  April  15 ;  next  seen,  a  hundred,  on  A[)ril  22 ;  became  common  on 
April  24;  male  and  female  in  flock;  common  all  summer  and  breeds 
here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds; 
arrives  Ai)ril  25  (Gnornsey).  In  September  I  fonnd  the  Crow  Black- 
bird sparingly  (along  Nelson  Kiver)  between  Hudson's  Bay  and  Lake 
Winnipeg ;  also  westward,  except  about  the  little  cultivated  ground 
at  Norwjiy  House  and  Cumberland,  after  which  (October  4)  are  not  seen 
(Blakiston). 

On  May  1,  1882,  W.  Brodie  shot  into  one  of  the  immense  flocks  of 
grackles  that  frequent  the  stubble  flehl,  and  brought  down  sixteen 
llusties  and  one  Bronze  at  a  single  discharge.  The  Bronze  was  so 
little  hurt,  being  slightly  grazed  on  the  wing,  that  his  death  sentence 
was  commuted  to  imprisonment  in  a  nail  keg  under  strict  surveillance. 
As  he  manifested  a  cheerful  and  intelligent  disposition  he  was  soon 
allowed  the  additional  i)rivilege  of  making  himself  a  veritable  nuis- 
ance in  every  corner  and  <lepartmentof  the  house,  and  so  thoroughly  and 
assiduously  did  he  apply  himself  to  take  the  fullest  .advantage  of  this 
liberty  that  every  one  but  myself  was  thankful  when,  after  a  few  days 
of  pretended  resignation,  he  took  the  first  opportunity  of  skipping  out 
of  doors  for  good.  My  observations  on  tliis  bird  were  much  as  follows : 
He  would  eatanything  that  was  eatable,  but  preferred  flesh.  A  mouse 
he  would  hold  in  his  claws  and  devour  exactly  in  the  manner  of  a 
hawk,  swallowing  each  mo.sel  as  it  was  torn  ott'  by  his  bill.  This 
sanguinary  taste,  I  fear,  points  to  a  nest-pilfering  propensity  that  I 
am  sorry  to  admit. 

I  never  before  saw  a  wild  bird  take  so  readily  to  captivity.  Within 
two  or  three  days  he  became  quite  at  home  in  the  kitchen,  and  perfectly 
familiar  with  the  place  and  purpose  of  the  water  pail.  He  had  a  curi- 
ous way  of  hanging  down  'ards  from  the  rim  when  the  water  was  low, 
so  as  to  reach  it,  and  he  never  failed  to  search  for  the  pail  whenever 
he  desired  to  drink.  I  often  detected  in  the  croaks  and  cries  he  uttered 
a  peculiar,  almost  human,  timbre^  that  suggested  the  possibility  of  his 
learning  to  articulate  words.  Froni  the  first  he  exhibited  a  magnificent 
development  of  impudence  and  vanity.  He  would  pose  in  the  sun 
and  admire  the  eftect  of  it  on  his  really  splendid  plumage,  till  one 
would  suppose  he  thought  he  was  the  Bird  of  Paradise  itself,  instead 
of  merely  a  very  distant  relative.  Altogether,  in  spite  of  his  trouble- 
some disposition,  his  jdayful  ways  and  general  cuteness  made  me  so 
fond  of  him  that  I  was  heartily  sorry  when  poor  Jack  disappeared. 


I     iA 


w   ■ 


/)84 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


173.  Coccothraustes  vespertinus.    Kvcning  Grosbeak. 

Common  winter  visitant;  possibly  nesting^.  Winnipeg:  Tolerably 
common  winter  visitor  (Mine).  I  have  never  seen  this  bird  myself  here 
(hiring  tliu  summer  months,  but  liave  noticed  them  in  the  autumn, 
winter,  and  early  spring  at  Selkirk  and  Big  Island,  on  Lake  Winnipeg; 
the  half-breed  who  was  with  me  at  Big  Island  told  me  that  thoy  were 
at  Selkirk  all  the  year  round  (R.  H.  Ilunter).  Portage  la  Prairie : 
Abundant  winter  visitor  from  October  15  to  about  May  IG ;  Winnipeg, 
less  common;  Riding  Mountain,  in  December  (Nash).  Shell  Uiver: 
1885,  seen  February  20  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common  winter  visi- 
tor; large  flocks  seen  in  February  and  March  (Guernsey). 

Mr.  Hine  tells  nie  that  this  bird  is  very  abundant  about  Winnipeg 
in  the  winter  and  spring.  It  is  usually  seen  in  the  groves  of  soft 
maple,  on  whose  seeds  it  feeds.  Its  note  is  like  that  of  the  Pine  Gros- 
beak, but  shriller,  and  resembles  the  syllables  *^ checpy-tceV^  He  says 
it  is  known  by  the  name  of  Sociable  Grosbeak,  as  it  is  always  seen 
either  in  pairs  or  in  small  flocks. 

This  bird  is  an  abiindiiiit  winter  visitor  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  wjiore  the  first  gener- 
ally appear  abont  the  IHth  of  October.  From  that  date  thoy  continn.ally  increase  in 
numbers  nntil  tho  Ist  of  Decoinbor,  when  they  roach  the  inaximnin.  Whilst  here 
they  frequent  the  Northwos^;  Maplo  or  Uox  Aider,  feeding  on  its  seeds,  and  seldom 
visit  the  ground,  except  in  spring,  when  thoy  will  sometimes  crowd  thickly  on  a 
hare  spot,  apparently  seeking  small  gravel  for  digestive  purposes. 

During  the  winter  they  are  usually  to  be  seen  in  small  parties,  not  exceeding  six 
or  eight  in  number,  but  early  in  April  they  congregate  into  large  (locks,  in  which 
the  males  preponderate ;  they  are  then  restless,  frequeudy  rising  from  the  tops  of 
the  trees  and  Hying  about  high  in  the  air  in  circles  over  their  haunts.  They  remain 
here  until  about  May  16,  when  thoy  all  disappear  together. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  bird's  nest  has  never  been  found,  it  may  be  worth 
noting  that  the  Pino  Grosbeak,  its  invariable  associate  in  the  winter,  whose  nest  and 
breeding  i>lace  is  known,  leaves  here  about  tho  end  of  March,  whilst  the  Evening 
Grirsbeak  remains  in  its  winter  quarters  six  weeks  la'^^r,  from  which  I  would  infer 
that  it  should  not  go  so  far  from  its  winter  haunts  to  n    .    i8<locs  the  Pine  Grosbeak. 

On  the  13th  December,  1884, 1  saw  a  ilock  of  these  birds  in  the  Hiding  Mountain, 
and  observed  them  every  day  after  that  until  the  20th,  when  I  left.  I  did  not  iind 
them  nearly  so  common  on  tho  Red  River  as  at  Portage  la  Prairie.    (Nash,  in  MS8.) 

174.  Piuicola  enucleator.    Pine  Grosbeak. 

Somewliat  common  winter  visitant;  possibly  nesting  in  the  northern 
woods  of  spruce.  Winnipeg:  Winter  visitor;  tolerably  common  (Hine). 
Red  River  Valley:  Rare  Jind  accidental  near  Winnipeg;  plentiful  in 
spruce  east  and  north  of  Winnipeg  (Hunter).  Swamp  Island:  1885; 
rare;  migrant;  seven  observed  November  6;  last  seen  November  7 
(Plunkett).  The  Pine  Grosbeak  was  frequently  seen  on  the  Churchill 
River  in  the  end  of  July,  showing  that  it  probably  breeds  in  this  region 
(Bell,  1880).  Portage  la  Prfiirie:  1890;  common  winter  visitor;  arrives 
about  the  Ist  of  November,  depjirts  about  the  middle  of  March;  feeds 
largely  on  the  seeds  of  prairie  plants  |)rqjecting  above  the  snow ;  ob- 


vol,.  xin,i 

1800.     J 


PKOCEEDINGS   OP  THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


585 


served  in  tlio  Riding  Mountains,  December,  1884  (Nash).  Red  Deer 
Lake,  1881  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Common  winter  visitor  (Thompson). 
Urandon:  January  24,  1883,  and  February  22  (Wood).  Shell  River: 
Winter  visitor  (Calcutt).  Qn'Appelle:  Common  winter  visitor;  large 
flocks  seen  all  winter  (Guernsey).    Severn  Honso  (Murray). 

On  November  9, 1882,  among  the  eastern  sand  hills  I  shot  a  Pine  Gros- 
beak which  ha<l  perched  on  the  top  of  a  tall  spruce  tree;  female;  length 
OA,  extent  14;  gizzard  filled  with  what  1  taok  for  spruce  seeds.  The 
bird  was  uttering  a  loud  whistle  from  time  to  time. 

On  December  G,  at  the  spruce  bu^li,  saw  several  Pine  Grosbeaks  fly- 
ing singly  or  in  twos  and  threes ;  they  seemed  to  be  feeding  on  the  tops 
of  the  poplars.    This  was  about  sunset. 

December  7,  at  the  spruce  bush  in  the  morning,  T  shot  a  Pine  Grosbeak, 
female,  and  saw  a  fine  red  male. 

175.  Carpodacus  purpureus.    Purple  Finch. 

Summer  resident;  in  small  numbers  on  Turtle  Mountain  during  the 
latter  part  of  July;  doubtless  breeds  (Coues),  Winnipeg:  "Pine  Finch," 
summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hinc).  Portage  la  Prairie:  1890: 
common  summer  resident;  arrives  about  April  20,  departs  about  Octo- 
ber 15;  contrary  to  my  experience  in  Ontario,  I  find  that  here  the  full 
plumjiged  crimson  males  are  the  first  to  arrive  (Nash).  Swan  Lake 
House:  July  11,  1881;  doubtless  breeding  (Macoun).  Carlton  House: 
May,  1827  (Uichardson).  Carberry:  Tolerably  common  in  spring;  in 
fall  at  Portage  la  Praiiie  (Thompson).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen, 
one  male,  on  April  30;  next  seen,  four,  on  June  3;  a  transient  visitor, 
passing  north  and  not  remaining  any  time  or  breeding  (Calcutt). 

On  Msiy  14, 1883,  I  shot  an  adult  mjile  Purple  Finch  in  full  song. 
Everywhere  tinged  with  crimson  except  the  belly,  which  was  white,  and 
the  rump,  which  was  yellow;  even  the  gizzard  and  all  its  contents  were 
stained  a  rich  crimson.    It  had  been  feeding  on  poplar  catkins. 

176.  Loxia  curvirostra  minor.    American  Crossbill.     Red  Crossbill. 

Winter  visitant;  possibly  also  breeding.  Winnipeg:  Tolerably  com- 
mon (Uine).  Red  River  Valley:  Permanent  resident;  abundant  in  any 
spruce  bush  (Hunter).  Saw  one  female  that  was  taken  at  Gladstone 
ill  the  fall  of  1885  (Nash,  181)0).  Carberry:  Winter  visitant  (Thomp- 
son). In  Minnesota  very  abundant;  breeding;  I  never  saw  it  out  of 
the  pineries  (Tripi/e). 

In  Manitoba  I  failed  to  detect  its  presence  excepting  during  the  win- 
ter and  spring.  It  generally  appears  in  the  Carberry  woods  with  the 
snow  and  thenceforth  throughout  the  winter;  it  is  common  wherever 
there  is  plenty  of  spruce  and  tamarac,  for  the  seeds  of  these  are  its 
favorite  food. 


586 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


177.  Loxia  leucoptera.     White- winged  Crossbill. 

Winter  visitant;  possibly  resident  {indbreediii}?.  Winnipeg:  Tolera- 
bly connnon  (Iliue).  Carberry:  Wintev  visitor  (Thompson).  Severn 
Honse  and  Trout  Lake  Station  (Murray). 

On  December  0, 1882,  at  the  spruce  bush,  SaO  below  zero,  shot  tliroo 
White-winged  Cros.sbills  out  of  small  flock  that  was  feeding  on  the  cones 
of  a  tall  spruce.    These  were  all  males. 

178.  Acanthis  hornemanii  exilipes.    Hoary  Reil-poll. 

Migrant  and  winter  visitant.  Winnipeg:  Karo;  winter  visitors 
(fline).  Specimens  taken  at  Carberry  in  the  early  winter  from  a  Hock 
of  the  Acanthis  linaria  (Thompson).  Linota  borealis,  Severn  House 
(Murray). 

179.  Acanthis  linaria.     Red-poll. 

Abundant  fall  and  winter  visitant.  Winnipeg:  Tolerably  common 
in  the  migration  (Mine).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abu-ulant  winter  resi 
dent  arrives  about  October  20 ;  departs  about  May  I ;  observed  in 
the  Riding  Mountains,  December,  1884  (Nash).  Carberry:  Abundant  in 
the  fall  migration  (Tliompson).  Shell  River:  Winter  visitor  (Calcut  I). 
Qu'Appelle:  Common;  arrives  April  1  ((Guernsey). 

On  October  25,  1882,  saw  a  couple  of  re«l-polls  about  the  barnyaid. 
They  were  feeding  on  the  cottony  crests  of  the  solidagos. 

On  November  .'J,  shot  three  red-polls;  one  was  a  female,  crimson  on 
poll  only ;  gizzard  tilled  with  various  small  seeds.  These  appear  to  l»e 
Acanthin  exilipes. 

On  Noven)ber  (I,  a  tlock  of  red-polls  appeared  and  wore  feeding  on 
the  weeds  near  the  barnyard. 

180.  SpinuBtriBtis.    Aiiiericnn  Oohlfiiich.    Wild  Cnnnry. 

Common  summer  resident.  Note«l  only  at  Pembina  (Cones).  Win- 
nii>eg:  Summer  resident  abundant  (Llines).  Oak  Point:  1881,  nr 
rived;  May  2!)  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  18!)0,  arrives  about  May 
25;  common  summer  resident;  departs  about  the  end  of  September 
(Nash).  Carberry:  Common  sununer  resident;  abundant  in  August 
aiul  8e|>tember  (Thompson).  Shell  Hiver:  1885,  first  seen,  one  male, 
on  May  24;  next  seen,  two,  iluiie  .'{;  is  common  all  summer;  breeds 
(Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Tolerably  common  ;  summer  resident.  Arrives 
May  24  ;  breeds  ((Juernsey). 

September  9, 1884.  The  goldlliiches  are  now  going  southward  in 
large  flocks.  For  the  last  month  they  have  led  a  roving  life  in  bands ol 
both  sexes;  especially  fre(|uenting  fireguards  and  old  breakings,  where 
there  is  usually  a  luxuriant  growth  of  prairie  sunllowors  {HaiUardia), 
whose  seed  is  a  favorite  food. 

In  Manitoba  I  have  nut  noted  the  bird  before  the  end  of  May.     In 


vol..  xiii.l 
1890.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


587 


'o  feedinfy  on 


tbis  country  it  finds  neither  tliistles  nor  orchards,  so  it  feeds  largely 
on  the  seed  of  the  prfiirio  suutlower  {Rudbeckia  /n'Ha)  and  Gaillardia 
{(}.pulchella),?Lud  nests  in  the  low  poplars  and  oaksou  the  edges  of  the 
lioavier  timber. 

About  the  end  of  August  they  gather  into  roving  bands  of  both 
Roxes  and  feast  on  the  now  abundant  supply  of  sunflower  seed;  about 
the  lOth  of  September  they  disappear. 

181.  Spinua  piuus.    Pino  Siskin.    Pine  Linnet. 

An  irregular  migrant.  Winnipeg:  During  June  it  is  found  along  the 
Red  River  in  hundreds  (Hine).  1890:  Itare  and  irregular  visitant;  I 
saw  two  or  three  Hocks  near  the  Ked  River  in  September  and  October, 
1.S8G  (Nash).  Carberry:  Irregular  spring  and  fall  migrant;  not  com- 
mon (Thompson).  In  Minnesota  observed  in  great  numbers  in  the  fall ; 
migrates  south  in  winter  (Trippe). 

On  December  5, 1883,  at  spruce  bush,  saw  a  largo  flook  of  small  birds 
swoop  on  the  top  of  a  birch  tree,  then  an  instant  later  sweep  ott"  again 
and  wheel  off  twittering  into  the  woods.    1  took  them  for  Pine  Linnets. 

182.  Plectrophcnax  nivalis.     iSnow-llivke.    Snow  Binitin};.     Snowbird. 

Very  abundant  early  spring;  fall  and  winter  residents.  Winnipeg  : 
Very  abundant  winter  visitant;  seen  as  late  as  Juno  10  (Hine).  Red 
Uiver  Settlement  in  winter  (Blakiston).  Swampy  Ishind  :  1885,  first 
seen,  two,  on  April  4 ;  next  seen  April  13 ;  last  seen  May  1 ;  is  tolerably 
common  in  fall  anu  spring;  does  not  breed;  first  seen  in  fall,  twenty, 
ou  October  lli;  alter  this  it  became  common;  188(),  Hist  seen,  eight,  on 
March  29;  bulk  arrived  April  S;  last  seen,  April  18  (LMunkett;.  Shell 
hake:  1885;  winter  visitor  (dalcutt).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant 
winter  resident;  arrives  about  October  U);  departs  usually  about  the 
middle  of  April  (Nash).  Manitoba  House,  18th  October,  1858,  snow- 
birds were  Hying  about  the  post  in  large  Hocks  (Dind).  Abundant  on 
the  prairies  between  Rrandon  and  Fort  Kllice  in  October,  1881  (Ma- 
coun).  Carberry  :  Abuiulant  from  November  1  to  April  30,  or  usually 
as  long  as  there  is  any  snow  (Thompson).  Qu'Ai»pollo:  Common  win- 
ter visitor;  leaves  about  May  10  (Guernsey).  Severn  House,  Trout 
Lake  Station  :  Only  goes  to  the  south  when  the  snow  becomes  deep 
(Murray). 

Dauidiiu  Lake,  October  7,  1858,  snowbirds  were  seen  for  the  Hrst 
time  during  the  afternoon.  They  came  about  ourcam))iu  largo  Hocks, 
liut  they  did  not  apjiear  to  have  quite  assuiaed  their  wintci  dress. 

In  Manitoba,  perhaps  more  than  in  any  of  our  southern  provinces,  the 
hardihood  of  this  most  hardy  binl  may  best  bo  seen.  As  soon  as  the 
snow  falls  the  snowbird  appears  in  force,  and  all  winter  long  he  con< 
tinues  to  twitter  cheerily  about  the  cheerless  outbuihlings  and  forage 
among  the  litter  of  the  barnyardii.  The  snow  counts  dtH'per  atid  the 
weather  gets  colder,  till  the  thermometer  seems  settled  to  sleep  away 


I 


588 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


down  among  the  20'8  below  zero,  an<l  still  the  merry,  rollicking  snow- 
birds  roost  on  tbe  barn  and  twitter  and  enjoy  life  ;  laugh  and  grow  lUt 
they  surely  do.  Many  that  I  have  taken  at  this  season  are  like  ballsof 
butter,  .and  the  clouds  of  blinding,  biting,  stinging  snow  that  career  over 
the  desolate  plains  seem  no  more  to  them  than  a  summer  zephyr.  The 
winter  aspect  of  the  prairie  is  dreary  enough  to  our  eyes.  But  when 
the  winter  storm — the  blizzard — arises,  burying  the  land  in  snowdrifts 
and  destroying  life  with  a  gale  of  ind  chilled  to  50  or  GO  degrees  below 
zero,  it  may  well  be  wondered  that  the  hardiest  of  animals  are  left  alive, 
so  terrible  is  the  power  of  this  overwhelming  torrent  of  snow. 

Then  it  may  be  asked,  when  the  blizzard  is  over,  was  the  snowbird 
out  in  all  this  ?  He  was  certainly  not  in ;  and  yet  he  was  in,  for  his  en- 
emy is  his  friend.  The  deadly  snow  saved  him  alive  from  itself;  he 
was  not  killed,  but  buried.  Ho  had  indeed  descended  into  the  grave  to 
save  his  life,  for  like  several  other  birds  that  brave  the  northern  winter, 
he  has  learned  to  crouch  during  a  snowstorm  in  some  recess  or  hollow, 
and  his  warm,  protecting  counterpane  is  the  snow. 

It  is  said  that  no  bird  goes  farther  north  than  the  Snow  Bunting.  With 
him,  if  with  any,  is  the  secret  of  the  Pole.  In  that  desolate  land  whore 
higher  beings  can  not  live,  the  young  snowbird  is  reared  in  peace,  like 
a  frail  flower  springitig  up  in  tliu  very  cave  of  death.  The  sentiment 
of  the  strange  construction  is  fully  illustrated  by  a  sight  recorded  on 
Southampton  Island,  by  Captain  Lyons,  the  explorer.  Cold  and  hun- 
ger had  swept  away  a  tribe  of  Esquimaux  ;  their  bodies  lay  aoout  what 
was  once  a  village ;  on  the  shore,  half  buired  by  the  sand,  was  tiie 
the  body  of  a  child,  and  on  its  breast  a  snowbird  had  built  its  nest  and 
was  rearing  its  young. 

The^o  nbiindaiit  wiuter  birds  arrive  at  Portftgo  la  Prairio  about  October  10;  depart 
UHiially  about  tlio  iiiiddlu  oi  April.  Tlioir  inovti.iu'iits  boing  iiillucucod  greatly  by 
the  weather,  no  long  as  the  groiiiid  in  covered  \«'itb  snow  tLoy  will  reiiiaiu,  but  uh 
Noon  as  the  bare  ground  is  visiUI<^  tboy  disappear. 

A  few  pairs  may  roinaiu  to  breed  with  us,  for  on  the  2:bl  of  J'ay,  1884,  I  anrpriscd 
a  pair  of  them  di  inking  out  of  a  tub  in  my  garden.  Tbe  day  was  very  warm,  and  after 
they  flew  on  the  func.o  I  notici^d  that  they  seemed  opitressed  with  tbo  heat ;  their 
beaks  were  liehl  open  as  one  sometimes  sees  our  common  birds  holding  'heirs  on  hot 
days  in  August.  On  the  U'id  day  of , June  I  saw  one  of  the  same  pair  or  another  bin! 
also  in  my  garden  <agerly  hunting  for  food,  but  unfortunately  I  lost  sight  of  it  with 
out  tracing  it  tu  its  nest,  if  it  had  one.    (Nash,  in  M8S.) 


183.  CaloariuB  lapponious.    Lapland  Longspur. 

Very  abundant  spring  and  fall  migrant  wherever  there  is  prairie  or 
cleared  country.  Mouse  Jiiver,  October  (Cones).  Dutt'eriti:  Arrive  be- 
fore April  ir>  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Abundant  migrant (lline).  Abun- 
dant at  llat  Portage,  October,  1M80  (Thoinpson).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Common  in  the  s|)ring;  sometimes  abnnda..c  in  autumn  (Nash).  Very 
common  on  tlie  plain  at  Fort  LVlly,  and  on  the  road  between  Fort 
Elliceand  Brandon,  during  September  and  October  (Macoiin).    Car- 


vol.  xiii,-] 
181)0.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


689 


berry :  Enormously  abuiulaiit  iu  the  spring,  siud  less  so  in  the  fall 
migration;  plains  south  of  the  Souris  River;  abundant  iu  spring 
(Thompson).  Cumberland  House,  late  iu  May  (Richardson).  Trout 
Lake  Station  and  Severn  House  (Murray). 

On  May  13, 1882,  while  crossing  the  Barren  Plain  south  of  theSouris 
Uiver  we  met  with  immense  hordes  of  longspurs,  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands  of  them ;  flock  after  flock,  or  rather  wave  after  wave,  in 
tbe  flood  that  seemed  never  entirely  to  cejise  passing  over.  On  all  sides, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  they  were  to  be  seen  stretching  away  into 
diiu  distance,  like  swarms  of  bees  or  gnats.  Each  wave  of  the  flood 
seemed  to  fly  on  low  ovei  the  plains  for  a  short  distance,  and  then 
settle  on  the  ground  to  run  about  and  forage  among  the  bunch  grass 
while  the  next  wave  passed  overhead.  But,  in  all  their  flights  and 
changes  of  front  and  pace,  one  thing  was  uotictable,they  kepta  steady 
onward  movement  to  the  north.  They  are  ctiefly  of  two  kinds,  the 
pivpontlerating  species,  the  Lap  Longspurs,  and  the  next  in  numbers, 
the  Blackbreastei)  or  C.  ornatus,  and  the  last  the  Painted  Longspurs, 
scarcely  represented  at  all. 

September  G,  1883.  Tlie  fall  flower,  the  gentian,  has  Just  come  out  in 
};reat  numbers.  As  I  crossetl  to  a  i)art  of  the  prairio  where  I  might  see 
their  exquisite  blue  in  i)erfection,  a  small  flock  of  longspurs  rose  from 
my  feet,  uttering  a  doleful  whistle.  Two  sad  signs  these ;  both  say 
plainly,  summer  is  gone  and  fall  is  short  and  passing  away.  Even  now 
these  longspurs  were  flying  from  the  frost,  and  as  often  as  I  put  them 
up  they  flew,  not  haphazard,  but  before  me,  or  over  my  head,  always 
to  the  south;  every  move  must  help  them  in  their  journey  to  their  wiu- 
ter  home. 

May  15, 1884 :  The  Lap  Longspurs  are  here  again  in  thousands.  High 
in  the  air  they  fly  mi  long  straggling  flocks,  all  singing  together,  a  thou- 
Hund  voices,  a  tornado  of  whistling.  Over  the  prairie  they  go,  on  to  the 
iiowly  sown  fields,  and  here  the  flock  (rops  a  feeler,  a  sort  of  anchor  or 
pivot,  around  which  the  whole  body  swings;  then  lifting  again  their 
iuichor  they  wheel  about  and  perform  two  or  three  evolutions,  again 
(lro|»  the  anchor  and  at  length  iorm  a  dense  close  column,  and  ceasing 
whistling  they  swoop  down  to  the  field  to  forage.  When  sprung  they 
riHc  in  a  dense  body,  but  at  once  spread  out  and  begin  the  merry 
whistling.  It  is  a  peculiar  sound  of  multitudinous  melody,  but  not  loud, 
iiiul  in  some  respects  like  the  sleigh-bell  chorus  of  the  blackbird. 

In  the  heat  of  the  day  these  birds  may  be  seen  sitting  in  long  rows  in 
the  shadow  of  each  post  in  the  fence;  as  the  sun  moves  around  they 
keep  edging  along  to  avoid  his  rays.  They  do  not  seem  to  like  the  heat 
iuid  no  doubt  will  soon  go. 

May  10:  Very  warm,  87°  in  the  shade.  Haw  on  the  pnrlrie  a  strange 
bird  that  might  have  been  a  female  longspur,  excepting  that  it  had  no 
white  on  the  tail  that  1  could  see. 

May  17 :  Euoriuous  flocks  of  longspurs  are  stdl  to  be  seen  about  the 


590 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


hi  i : 


■'1 


i\ 


uewly  sown  fields.  The  gizzards  of  those  I  opened  were  full  of  oats, 
wheat,  buckwheat,  aud  grass  seed.  There  are  tWo  species,  the  Lap  and 
the  Paiuted  Longspurs.  Grangers,  the  farmers  here  call  them  iiulis- 
criminately.  The  merry  cheechupping  of  the  Laps,  and  the  sweet 
singing  of  the  richly  colored  Fainted  Lougispurs  make  a  continuous 
melody,  like  the  spring  jingling  of  blackbirds,  but  with  more  of  the 
tone  of  bobolinks.  Both  sing  on  the  ground.  None  of  the  spcciineu8 
taken  showed  any  anatomical  signs  of  sexual  excitement,  so  that  they 
probably  go  much  farther  north  to  breed. 

About  the  middle  of  May  every  year  the  Lap  Longspur  comes  to  this 
country,  associated  with  the  chestnut-collared  Paiuted  Buntings,ineiior. 
nious  flocks,  coming  in  May,  just  after  the  crops  are  in.  They  do  a  great 
deal  of  damage,  picking  up  first  the  seed  that  is  exposed  and  afterwards 
tearing  it  up  when  it  begins  to  sprout.  A  large  number  that  I  shot 
about  this  time  had  their  gizzards  full  of  oats,  wheat,  hayseed,  uiid 
buckwheat. 

When  in  the  field  hey  I'ave  a  curious  habit  of  squatting  j  ust  behind 
some  clod,  and  as  tl  r  upper  colors  are  nearly  matched  to  the  soil,  they 
are  not  easily  obser  d,  nor  will  they  move  until  you  are  within  a  few- 
feet;  they  then  run  a  lew  feet  and  squat  again,  unless  closely  foUoweil  so 
that  they  nuist  Uy. 

When  in  the  air  they  move  in  great  straggling  flocks,  all  whistling 
together,  so  there  is  a  perfect  tornado  of  song.  Merrily  they  fly  alonj; 
to  the  new-sown  fields;  then  the  ragged  flock  drops  a  feeler, an  anchor 
or  a  pivot  round  which  the  whole  army  wheels,  and  after  performiiij,' 
two  or  three  evolutions  in  close  column,  finally  cease  whiubling  and 
swoop  onto  the  field  to  forage.  When  "sprung"  theyriseinaden.se 
body,  but  soon  at  once  spread  out  and  begin  the  merry  jingling,  a  sound 
of  multitudinous  melody  somewhat  like  the  noise  of  Blackbirds. 

In  the  heat  of  the  day  (for  we  often  have  it  over  80°  F.  during  May, 
shade  register)  they  may  be  seen  sitting  in  the  shadows  of  the  feneo 
posts,  in  each  shadow  a  long  group  just  the  size  of  the  post,  and  as  the 
shadow  moves  they  will  edge  round  to  avoid  the  sun. 

As  the  middle  of  May  passes  the  jingling  music  becomes  louder  and 
more  vigorous.  The  efl'ect  of  a  large  body  of  longspurs  singing  is 
somewhat  similar  to  that  of  a  small  body  of  bobolinks.  They  {pictus 
and  lapponicH8)  now  sing  both  in  the  air  and  on  the  ground.  The 
song  of  the  lapponieun  is  like  ^''  chcechuppy  ohuppy^^  repeated  with  short 
intervals ;  thopictus  has  a  more  i»retentious  song  The  latter  went  north 
about  the  liUth  of  May,  in  1884 ;  the  former  remained  until  about  the  1st 
of  June. 

Tli«'y  retire  to  the  far  northwest  to  breed,  but  return  again  during  the 
last  week  of  September.  They  remain  on  the  stubbh;  fields  for  about  two 
weeks  before  migrating  southward.  Tiieir  numbers  now  are  much  less 
than  in  the  spring  migration,  contrary  to  what  might  bo  expected. 


'"m 


vol..  xiii.T 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


591 


184.  CalcariuB  pictus.    Sniitli's  LougHpur.    Puiutod  LoiigHpur. 

Abundant  spring,  but  rare  fall  migrant ;  one  in  Smithsonian  Insti- 
tution from  Pembina,  September  (Kennicott).  Mouse  River  (Cones). 
Ciirberry :  Extremely  abundant;  migrant;  staying  for  about  two  weeks 
iu  spring,  aud  returning  for  a  few  days  in  the  fall  (Thompson).  Severn 
Ilouse :  Seems  scarcer  than  the  others ;  Sir  John  Richardson  mentions 
tiiat  he  had  only  obtained  one  specimen ;  three  have  been  sent  to  me 
(Murray). 

May  13, 1882,  on  the  plains  south  of  the  Souris  Eiver,  a  few  Painted 
lougspurs  were  observed  with  the  immense  flock  of  Lap  Longspurs  that 
are  now  passing  northward. 

May  IT,  1884,  Carberry :  The  Painted  Longspurs  are  here  now  in 
enormous  numbers,  accompanying  the  Lap  Longspurs.  They  sing  a 
sweet  continuous  song  while  perching  on  a  clod.  Today  I  went  out  to 
collect  a  tew  out  of  the  vast  flocks  that  are  daily  about  the  newly  sown 
tii'kls ;  northwest  wind  was  blowing  aud  I  approached  from  the  east,  but 

1  (;ould  not  detect  a  bird  on  the  ground,  although  I  was  springing  them 
from  my  very  feet  at  each  step.  They  have  a  habit  of  squatting  closely 
when  approached,  then  springing  up  they  fly  off  with  undulating  flight ; 
and  us  during  this  it  is  not  easy  to  collect  the  bird,  I  got  no  specimens 
iiiiti'  it  occurred  to  me  to  go  around  and  approach  the  flock  from  the 
west.  As  soon  as  L  did  so  the  whole  fleld  seemed  alive  with  the  long- 
spurs; their  gay  bosoms  were  thickly  speckling  the  dark  earth  for  acres, 
and  I  h»  \  no  difliculty  in  getting  as  many  as  I  needed. 

Althon^^li  in  full  song  1  could  detect  no  signs  of  amatory  passion  iu 
these  birds,so  Ihat  «o  doubt  they  go  very  much  farther  north  to  breed. 

185.  CalcariuB  oruatus.    CltoBtnut-collaretl  LongBpur.    Bliick-breasted  Longspur. 

Common  suuimer  resident;  local  in  distribution,  many  pairs  some- 
times affecting  a  limited  area  of  dry  ])rairio,  while  again  for  miles  no 
more  of  the  species  are  to  be  seen.  Wonderfully  abundant;  breeding 
along  the  boundary  from  20  miles  west  of  Pembina  Mountain  to  Mon- 
tana (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  abundant  (Hine).  Shoal 
Lake,  May  16, 1887  (Christy).    Portage  la  Prairie:  181)0,  a  colony  about 

2  miles  north  of  here  (Nash).  Breeding  in  numbers  on  the  Souris  Plain, 
between  Brandon  and  the  Brandon  Hills  aud  southwesterly,  late  in  June 
and  early  in  July,  1881  (Macoun).  Great, numbers  south  of  the  Souris 
on  the  Brandon  Trail,  a  colony  at  Chater,  aud  auother  iu  the  Big  Plain 
near  Boggy  Creek  (Thompson). 

May  15.  Camp  30  miles  south  of  the  Souris,  over  the  same  monoto- 
nous rolling  prairie,  a  succession  of  ridges  with  duck-ponds  in  the  hoi* 
lows  Iwtween.  The  Black-breasted  'iongspurs  are  still  very  numerous, 
though  much  less  so  than  they  were  t  wo  days  ago,  and  are  now  mostly 
seen  in  pairs.  The  males  are  frequently  seen  to  spread  their  pretty  black 
aud  white  wings  aud  tails  and  rise  iu  the  air  about  10  feet,  where  they 


592 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA THOMPSON. 


Biug  sweetly  for  a  uiiuute  or  i^o;  tbeii,  having  let  otf  the  ebullitiou  of  feel- 
ing that  prompted  the  action,  they  drop  to  the  ground  to  chase  their 
mates,  or  to  resume  the  more  humble  vocation  of  foraging,  mouse-like, 
among  the  bunch  grass.  There  seemed  to  be  a  vast  colony  of  them 
breeding  at  this  particular  place,  but  after  moving  a  few  miles  further 
on  none  at  all  were  to  be  seen. 

On  Junel:,  1S84,  ouabarreu  ridge  of  the  rolling  prairie  between  Bog- 
gy Creek  and  Petrel,  I  found  a  colony  of  over  a  dozen  pairs  of  Black- 
breasted  Longspurs.  I  did  not  succeed  in  finding  the  nest,  as  my  visit 
to  the  place  was  merely  in  passing  through  "per  cart,"  but  I  was  able 
to  make  a  number  of  observations  on  their  song  and  habits.  I  fouud 
them  rather  shy  of  allowing  approach,  but  quite  iudisposed  to  cease 
whistling  on  account  of  the  intrusion.  1  was  surprised  to  see  them  fre- 
quently perch  on  low  bushes  and  sing  there,  also  on  the  ground;  so  that 
some  ecstatic  singer  would  perhaps  start  his  song  as  he  squatted  on 
terra  firma,  then  spring  up,  singing  in  the  air,  and  finish  the  perform- 
ance on  some  willow  bush.  The  song  was  somewhat  like  that  of  a  bay- 
wing,  but  with  a  more  mellow  warble  and  without  the  slurred  notes. 
The  accentuation  1  noted  down  from  the  bird's  dictation,  as  follows: 
"  Weeo-  weedmpe  icechipilytr-r-r-r-r-r-rP 

Specimens  shot  had  their  gizzards  full  of  grass  seed  and  small  in- 
sects of  all  sorts,  but  chiefly  coleoptera. 

When  sprung  they  had  a  habit  of  rising  abruptly  and  flying  with 
deep  undulations  for  about  100  yards,  when  they  would  pitch  down 
again.  On  going  to  thw  place  they  would  be  found  to  have  run  some 
distance,  and  would  a^^ain  spriug  from  a  totally  unexpected  quarter. 

186.  Pooceetes  gramiueus  confinis.    Westeru  Vesper  Sparrow.    Baywiug. 

Very  abundant  summer  resident  on  the  prairies.  Breeds  in  abundance 
from  Pembina  westward  along  the  boundary  to  the  Kockies  (Coues). 
A  specimen  from  lied  Kiver  Settlement  in  Smithsonian  Institution  ^Blak- 
iston).  Winnipeg!  Common  summer  resident  (liine).  Portage  la  Prsii- 
rie:  Common  summer  resident;  arrives  about  May  10  (Nash).  Common 
on  the  prairies,  from  Brandon  westward  (Macoun).  Carberry:  i^bun- 
daut  summer  resident;  breeding  also  along  all  the  trails  in  the  pra'rie 
region  towards  Brandon  and  Fort  Ellice.  Shell  Kiver:  Breeding 
(Thompson).  Shell  Kiver:  1885,  flrst  seen,  two,  on  April  21);  is  common 
all  summer,  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt). 

May  11,  1882:  Traveling  today  on  the  old  Brandon  Trail.  As  we 
follow  its  windings  over  the  sterile  prairie  about  Fairview,  large  num- 
bers of  Vesper  Sparrows  are  to  be  seen,  running  and  hopping  in  and 
out  among  the  tufts  of  bunch  grass,  or  flitting  Just  ahead  of  the  horses, 
which  they  seem  to  think  are  pursuing  then).  This  is  the  flrst  time  I 
have  observed  them,  but  they  are  in  extraordinary  numbers  here. 

Ou  May  9, 1883,  shot  aVesper  Sparrow,  singing  at  dusk;  a  male; 
length  (i.^,  extent  11;  gizzard  full  of  grass.    lu  the  evening,  after 


vol..  XIII, 1 

1890.    J 


dusk,  a  stri 

a  long  twit 

but  found  i 

this  eftusio 

of  extracts 

male;  len| 

On  July 

bird  that  r 

but  less  p( 

sank  agaii 

proved  to 

On  Aug 

noise.     It 

•gizzard  w 

baywing  s 

noted  this 

at  all.    Lj 

Like  its 

by  turns  < 

conceited 

front  of  a 

herd  of  ci 

drivers  ai 

a  mile  in 

Iront  and 

liim  too  c 

hopping, 

you  are  f( 

left  the  t 

self  on  h 

been  that 

also  seen 

point  of 

lashion  (i 

the  leade 

Anotlu 

will  squi 

lialf  an  1 

spot  by  t 

enjoying 

In  soir 

eastern  I 

ulthougl 

enced  m; 

Durin, 

»cng,  an 

Pi 


"Ilitiouoffeei. 
o  chase  their 
?,  mouse-like, 
looy  of  them 
miles  further 

between  Ho^- 

tiirs  of  Black- 

t,  as  my  visit 

ut  I  was  able 

)its.    I  fonud 

osetl  to  cease 

see  them  fre- 

ouiul;  so  that 

squatted  on 

the  perform - 

hat  of  a  bay- 

ilurreil  notes. 

i,  as  follows: 

inU  small  iu- 

il  flying  with 
1  pitch  down 
ivo  run  some 
cted  quarter. 

r.    liaywiug. 

in  abundance 
ikies  (Coues). 
itation^BIuk- 
rtage  la  Prai- 
)h).  Common 
•erry:  Abun- 
n  the  praTie 
r:  Breeding 
>;  is  common 

'rail.  As  we 
,  large  num- 
>ping  in  and 
if  the  horses, 
e  first  time  I 
rs  here, 
sk  J  a  male; 
eniug,  after 


vol..  XIII, 1 

189U.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


593 


dusk,  a  strange  small  sparrow  ran  along  the  ground  before  me,  uttering 
ii  long  twittering  song  in  a  (luiet,  cheerful  way.  I  expected  a  discovery, 
but  found  it  was  only  my  old  friend  the  bay  wing.  1  subsequently  heard 
this  efi'usiou  a  number  of  times;  it  is  like  a  soft  continuous  whispering 
of  extracts  from  his  various  other  musical  performances.  It  was  a 
wale ;  length  G[y  extent  11 ;  gizzard  full  of  grain. 

On  July  31, 1883,  at  Humphrey's  Lake  with  M.  C,  we  noted  a  small 
bird  that  rose  in  the  air  singing  a  song  like  that  of  the  English  Lark, 
but  less  powerful.  It  sang  and  soared  to  a  height  of  about  40  feet,  then 
sank  again  to  the  grass.  After  an  eager  pursuit  it  was  secured  and 
proved  to  be  only  a  Vesper  Sparrow. 

On  August  4, 1884,  heard  a  sparrow  making  a  continuous  screeching 
noise.  It  proved  a  baywing.  In  its  bill  was  a  grasshopper,  and  its 
gizzard  was  full  of  insects.  Three  times  this  week  have  I  heard  the 
baywing  singing  its  air  song  from  aloft.  These  are  the  only  occasions 
noted  this  year,  and  now  the  species  is  not  singing  its  ordinary  song 
at  all.    Last  year,  as  near  as  I  remember,  it  was  the  samely. 

Like  its  eastern  relative  this  bird  has  a  habit  of  running  and  flying 
by  turns  on  the  path,  or  a  few  feet  before  one.  I  have  watched  the 
conceited  little  creature  when  it  chanced  to  alight  on  the  trail,  just  in 
front  of  a  train  of  over  a  hundred  emigrant  wagons,  that,  with  a  great 
herd  of  cattle  and  a  rabble  of  boys  and  dogs,  uiuler  guidance  of  noisy 
drivers  and  mounted  outriders,  presented  a  most  formidable  array  half 
a  mile  in  length,  and  the  little  baywing  kept  hop  hopping  along  in 
front  and  watching  ba<;k  over  his  shoulder ;  or  if  the  leader  approached 
liim  too  closely,  he  would  take  a  short  flight  and  continue  on  the  trail 
hopping,  and  seem  all  along  to  say  "  Catch  me  if  you  can,  you  folks ; 
you  are  following  hard  and  I  am  much  amused."  Then  when  at  last  he 
left  the  trail  and  the  crowd  passed  on,  he  seemed  to  congratulate  him- 
self on  having  outwitted  them  so  cunningly;  or  it  may  possibly  have 
been  that  he  thought  he  was  the  leader  of  the  whole  train,  for  I  have 
also  seen  him  when  the  train  turned  off"  at  forks  flit  across  the  narrow 
point  of  land  and  again  resume  his  task  of  leadership,  much  after  the 
fashion  of  modern  newspapers  and  politicians  that  are  supposed  to  be 
the  leaders  of  public  opinion. 

Another  peculiu.ity  of  the  species  is  its  fondness  for  adust  bath.  It 
will  squirm  and  rustle  its  plumage  and  splash  about  in  a  dust  heap  for 
half  an  hour  at  a  time,  evidently  e" joying  it  hugely.  On  a  small  sandy 
spot  by  the  house  door  1  used  daily  to  see  from  one  to  six  bay  wings 
enjoying  their  dry  wasb,  but  very  rarely  any  other  species. 

In  some  of  its  habits  it  j»resents  a  considerable  difference  to  the 
eastern  bird,  being  in  my  opinion  a  much  more  accomplished  songster, 
although  superior  opportunities  foi  studying  this  bird  may  have  influ- 
ynced  my  preference  for  its  music. 

During  the  mouths  of  July  an<l  August  he  ceases  his  usual  vesiMjr 
scng,  and  vents  his  feelings  in  a  loud,  wild,  lark-like  chant,  which  is 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 38 


H    :i 


694 


THE    BIRDS    OF    MANITOBA TllOMl'SOX. 


poured  forth  Jis  the  bird  rises  liijrli  ill  the  air.  An  Englisli  "ud,  on 
first  hearing  it  exchiiiued  that  it  was  the  voice  of  a  real  sk^  i.irk,  but 
it  proved  shorter  aud  weaker.  The  bird  begins  to  siiij;  as  he  leaves  the 
prairie,  and  sinjjs  and  soars  till  he  has  reached  a  '<eight  of  50  or  00 
feet,  when  he  again  returns  to  earth. 

This  air  Sv^ug  is  not  heard  nearly  as  frequently  as  thecoininon  perch- 
ing song  is  in  its  prt)per  season,  nor  have  1  heard  both  at  the  flame 
time  of  year.  The  perching  song  alone  is  heard  during  May  and  June, 
and  again  after  the  fall  molt  there  is  a  renewal  of  the  spring  chant- 
ings — an  aftermath  of  song — for  the  bird  ceases  his  soaring  lay  and 
once  more  sings  for  tliesettingof  Ihesuii. 

This  has  an  interesting  bearing  on  the  theory  that  many  species  often 
become  perforce  air  singers  on  betaking  themselves  to  prairie  life. 

But  the  song  that  this  species  utters  late  in  the  day  is  its  sweetest 
if  not  its  supreme  effort,  at  the  tiiiu^  when  the  reddening  sun  is  near- 
ing  the  hori/on  when,  as  the  prairie  farmers  say,  it  casts  no  shadow ; 
when,  in  reality,  the  ground  is  all  in  shade  of  the  low  ridges  to  the 
west.  A  bird  on  the  prairie  is  in  that  shadow,  but  on  springing  up 
in  the  air  the  ruddy  glow  (alls  on  him  as  he  faces  the  setting  sun  and 
renews  the  song  ho  sang  for  his  rising.  So  springs  and  sings  the 
Meadow-lark  and  many  other  ground  birds,  and  having  vented  their 
feelings  in  this  last  good  night,  sink  <lown  into  the  niglit  which  is 
already  on  the  ground.  Then,  as  the  sky  darkens,  the  eastern  colors 
beciome  those  of  the  west,  and  the  east  grows  somber,  the  general 
acclamation  dies  away,  but  the  Bay  winged  Bunting  sings  on  cheerily  as 
ever,  and  is  commonly  left  to  sing  alone  in  tiie  gloaming  loud  as  in  th(\ 
daytime,  but  seeming  twice  as  loud.  The  peaceful  notes  are  poured 
forth  till  the  whole  pr.iirie  seems  lul'^d  by  the  sweetness  of  the  strain. 
This  is  the  vesper  song — this  is  the  Vesper  Bird. 

Tlio  little  biiywin}»  (Poorwli-a  gramineiiH)  is  ouo  uf  the  most  fuiniliar  of  prairii! 
binUs,  iiiul  nightly  Hiu<^s  u  siibiliiotl  kind  of  veopei- hdii^  uh  tbo  hiiu  uooa  down.  Its 
most  notable  peculiarity,  liowever,  is  its  babit  of  Hitting  along  ti  trail  or  pathway  in 
front  of  an  advancing;  wagon  or  person,  aligliting  ovory  few  yard.s  As  it  is  but 
comparatively  recent  tliut  there  have  boon  any  bninan  trails  over  tlio  prairies,  it 
seems  probable  that  tliis  pro(;ooding  is  a  relic  of  a  habit  ac(]airud  by  the  bird  of  Hit- 
ting before  the  bnllaloes  along  the  paths  made  by  those  animals.  (Christy.) 


187.  AmmodramuB  Baiidwichensis  alaudinus.    Western  Savanna  Sparrow. 

Abundant  summer  resident  on  the  prairies.  Breeds  in  profusion  from 
Pembina  westward,  along  the  boundary  to  the  Kockies  (Coues).  One 
from  Red  Kiver  Settlement  in  Smithsonian  Institution  (Blakistim). 
Wfuwipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Uine).  P6rtage  la  Prairie: 
Common  siunmer  resident  (Nash),  ited  F  -er  River  and  Manitoba 
House  (Macoun).  Carberry  :  Abuiulant  sir  imer  resident;  breeding  in 
all  prairies  near  Rapid  City,  near  Bartle,  Silver  Creek,  Rat  Portage, 
October  (Thompson). 

On  June  18,  1882,  within  a  few  feet  of  a  straw  stack  in  the  barnyard. 


01..  XIII, T 
1890.     J 


i'uoc'i:rii>iNGS  op  the  national  museum. 


595 


wlierc  horses  ixud  cattle  are  contiiiiially  ruiiuiiig  about,  I  found  the 
lu'st  of  a  Savanna  S{)airo\v,  protected  only  by  a  tuft  of  prairie  grass.  It 
contained  five  eggs,  and  was  couipo.sed  of  grass  with  a  meager  lining 
of  horsehair,  the  whole  being  slightly  sunk  in  the  ground. 

June  29,  llapid  Uity :  All  this  spring  1  have  been  puzzled  by  a  pecu- 
liar simple  little  song  that  was  uttered  by  a  small  insignificant-looking 
sparrow,  which  usually  perched  on  the  top  of  a  low  bush  in  a  dry 
grassy  locality.  This  afternoon  I  succeeded  in  shooting  one  of  these 
birds  in  the  very  act,  and  was  somewhat  surprised  to  find  that  it  was  a 
Savanna  Sparrow,  a  bird  that  I  was  otherwise  very  familiar  with.  The 
song  is  readily  suggested  in  my  mind  by  the  phrase  ^^  tship  ctship-e- 
tship-e-screc-  tshipJ' 

Soon  after  arriving  it  may  bo  seen  on  nearly  every  little  willow  bush 
on  the  Big  Plain,  repeating  its  short  ditty,  with  the  simple  earnestness 
that  characterizes  the  Scrub  Sparrows.  Its  voice  is  much  sweeter  than 
that  of  the  Shattuck  Bunting  (SpizcUa  pallida),  but  it  must  needs  finish 
with  the  inevitable  "buzz."  The  song  is  shaped  somewhat  like  '•^tship- 
e-tshipe-tshipe-screetship.''^  This  is  uttered  for  hours  together  with 
untiring  diligence,  and  yet  withal  a  lack  of  im[)rovemeut  that  would 
seem  to  explode  the  old  adage,  "  Practie"  makes  perfect." 

This  bird  is  remarkably  shy,  even  in  places  where  man  is  scarcely 
ever  seen. 


188.  Ammodramus  bciirdii.    Itaird'H  Spariow. 

Abundant  summer  resident  throughout  the  Assiniboine  Valley, 
wherever  there  are  alkaline  flats.  One  of  the  commonest  birds,  and 
doubtless  breeding  along  the  boundary  on  the  prairies  westward  of 
Pembina  Mountain  to  Mouse  Kiver  (Cones).  Carberry,  very  rare; 
Fingerboard,  rare;  Shoal  Lake,  west,  abundant;  also  at  Birtle 
and  Shell  River  (Thompson).  A  supposed  specimen  obtained  at  Moose 
Mountain,  July  3,  1S80  (Macoun). 

On  June  4, 1884,  near  Shoal  Lake,  west,  shot  a  number  of  Baird's 
Buntings.  They  do  not  answer  to  Coues's  description  (1  Key).  The 
crown  is  suttused  with  dull  orange.  Its  song  is  very  like  that  of  a 
Savanna  Sparrow.  In  many  parts  of  the  prairies  west  of  Birtle  there  are 
low  fiat  alkaline  stretches  sparsely  covered  with  long  wiry  grass. 
Wherever  the  land  is  of  this  character  Baird's  Bunting  is  sure  to  be  a 
prominent  if  not  the  prevailing  species.  It  is  now  in  full  song,  and 
Its  peculiar  notes  are  to  be  heard  on  all  sides.  The  song  may  be  ren- 
dered triok-e-trivhetrikeeeeechiky-le-rolt,  with  a  peculiar  utterance 
that  at  once  distinguishes  it  from  the  song  of  Savanna  sparrows. 
Another  type  of  song  with  this  species  is  like  tricke  tricketrike  e 
t-r-rr-rr-rrrr. 

June  22,  Shell  River  country  :  Here  the  dry  alkali  bottoms  are  more 
frequent,  and  the  bunting  is  numerous  in  proportion. 

June  24,  Shoal  Lake :  Baird's  Sparrow  is  common  about  here,  though 


696 


THE    BIKDS    OF    MANITOBA —THOMPSON. 


■# 


less  80  tlijui  at  Birtlo.  On  the  Big  Plain  where  there  are  no  alkalino 
flats;  I  have  noted  it  but  once  or  twice.  The  general  habits  of  this 
bird  are  umcli  like  those  of  the  Savanna  Sparrow.  While  singing  it  is 
usually  perched  on  some  tuft  of  grass,  each  foot  grasping  a  number  of 
stalks  to  furnish  support.  When  discovered,  it  Hits  low  over  the  flat 
and  drops  into  the  grass.  A  number  of  the  specimens  taken  were 
rather  larger  than  the  measurements  commonly  given. 

189.  Amiuodramus  lecontei.    Lccunto'H  Sparrow. 

Abundant  summer  resident  of  willow  bottom-lands  in  the  Assini- 
boine  boundary  near  Mouse  liiver  (Cones).  Near  Winnipeg:  "  Sharp- 
tailed  linch  ;  "  summer  resident ;  tolerably  common  (liine).  C.arberry  : 
Abundant  .s'  iiimer  resident;  breeding  in  willow  sloughs  and  grassy 
flats;  Fingerboard;  West  slope  of  Duck  Mountain,  abundant;  breed- 
ing (Thompson).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Eare  summer  resident  in  the 
large  grass  marshes  near  Portage  la  Prairie ;  may  perhaps  occur  in 
larger  numbers  than  is  supposed,  as  it  skulks  m  rank  herbage  and  is 
difficult  to  flush,  even  with  good  spaniels  (Nash). 

In  the  afternoon  of  June  26, 1882,  while  riding  after  the  cattle  through 
the  scrubby  bottom  land  that  skirts  the  eastern  slough,  I  started  a 
small  sparrow  from  its  nest.  I  dismounted  and  almost  immediately 
found  it ;  it  was  by  a  willow  bush,  and  although  apparently  on  the 
ground  it  was  raised  0  inches  or  more  above  the  wet  by  a  matted  tan- 
gle of  twigs  and  grass  on  which  it  was  placed.  It  was  compose<l 
entirely  of  fine  grass,  and  contained  three  eggs.  The  old  bird  hurrie«l 
with  rustling  flight  into  the  willow  thicket  and  continued  flitting  about 
or  threading  the  mazes  of  the  copse,  and  uttering  from  time  to  time 
their  peculiar  and  characteristic  "  tweete .'"  which  was  of  that  ventrilo- 
quial  ambiguity  that  makes  it  difficult  to  place  unless  the  bird  is  in 
sight.  I  had  no  gun,  and  knew  I  would  not  again  be  in  that  region 
for  weeks,  so  1  took  the  nest  and  eggs,  not  knowing  the  importance  of 
the  find.  One  of  the  eggs  is  .^  by  ^,  was  of  a  delicate  pearly  pink 
before,  pure  white  after  blowing — with  a  few  spots  of  brownish-black 
towards  the  larger  end.  I  afterwards  became  quite  familiar  with  Le- 
conte's  Sparrow  and  am  satisfied  that  it  was  the  species  whose  nest  I 
found  on  this  occasion. — E.  E.  T.,  1885. 

Tills  beautiful  si)arrow  abounds  in  Manitoba  wherever  there  are 
meadows  that  oiler  the  right  combination  of  willow  scrub  and  sedgy 
grass. 

About  the  5th  of  May  it  returns  to  the  Big  Plain.  At  first  it  is  seen 
creeping  about  among  the  red  willow  scrub  and  last  year's  sedge  along 
by  the  sloughs,  and  uttering  a  peculiar  *'<tc(;<3<e,"  whence  I  knew  this 
species  as  the  willow-tweet  long  ere  I  had  heard  of  Leconte  or  of  any 
scientific  name  for  the  bird.  This  note  is  one  of  these  very  thin,  sharp 
sounds  that  are  so  misleading  by  their  ventriloquial  character  that  one 
does  not  know  in  what  direction  to  look  for  the  "  tweeter."    On  first 


vol..  XIII,  T 
1800.    J 


seeing 


•m 


VOL.  XIII.T 
1890.     J 


PROCKEHINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


597 


seeing  the  species  close  at  hand  it  strikes  one  as  being  nuicli  like  a 
bePMtitul  miniature  of  the  Meadow-huk. 

About  the  middle  of  May  the  male  begins  to  "sing"  ou  some  low 
twig,  projecting  a  little  above  the  long  grass  on  tlie  slough.  He  takes 
his  stand,  graspiug  and  keeping  his  perch  with  a  iixity  of  nianner  that 
Itespeaks  immovable  resolution.  Presently  he  throws  back  his  head, 
gapes  his  widest,  and  thus  with  bill  pointing  to  the  zenith,  arduously  la- 
boring, he  is  delivered  of  a  tiny,  husky,  double  note  ^'reesereese,^  so  thin 
ii  sound  and  so  creaky  that  I  believe  it  is  usually  attributed  to  a  grass- 
liopper,  and  yet  he  e\  idently  toils  hard  and  brings  this  forth  with  such 
unction  that  he  is  quite  exhaustetl  for  a  time  and  sits  dejected  until  he 
recuperates,  which  he  does  in  about  ten  seconds,  and  once  again  his 
little  soul  is  huskily  poured  out  an<l  again  exhausted  nature  asserts  her 
claims,  and  he  subsides  once  more  for  the  ten  seconds  of  needful  rest; 
but  the  strain  is  too  great  to  be  kept  up  for  any  length  of  time,  so  after 
live  or  six  rehearsals,  from  beginning  to  end  without  omission  or  abbre- 
viation, he  is  i\,  such  a  reduced  condition  tliat  the  notes  are  no  longer 
audible  at  a  distance  of  20  feet.  Lie  now  drops  from  his  post  of  eleva- 
tion to  the  lower  world  and  devotes  his  energies  to  the  accumulation  of 
protoplasmic  recuperation  in  the  form  of  plant-lice,  flies,  and  caterpillars. 

It  is  interesting  and  amusing  to  compare  the  intense  earnestness  of 
the  Scrub  Sparrows  in  tlie  utterance  of  their  creaky  notes  with  the 
(!Ool,  ott'-hand  dash,  the  nonch.alance  of  the  Larks  and  Wood  Thrushes 
when  they  are  stirring  hearts  and  eclioes  with  their  inimitable  strains. 

Another  common  note  of  this  sparrow  is  a  single,  long-diawn  "fti?^," 
which  also  is  deceptively  like  the  sound  of  a  grasshopper.  This  it 
repeats  at  intervals  from  some  perch.  When  approached  it  drops  into 
the  long  grass  and  threads  about  in  the  sedgy  fhick<^t  like  a  Marsh 
Wren,  although  it  is  much  less  ditticult  to  put  up  than  tliat  bird. 


\ 


190.  Chondeates  grammacus.    Lark  Sparrow. 


Common  summer  resident  in  vicinity  of  Winnipeg  (Hine).  Not  noted 
elsewhere. 

191.  Zonotricbia  quenila.    Harris's  Sparrow. 

Abundant  spring  and  fall  migrant,  frequenting  thickets.  Mouse 
River,  at  boundary,  Septeniber  19  to  October  3  (Cones).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Common  spring  and  autumn  visitor;  arriving  about  May  15, 
when  they  remain  but  a  few  days;  reappear  aboi  ^  September  20,  depart- 
ing about  the  1st  of  October;  whilst  here  they  usually  accompany  the 
White-thrOiited  and  White-crowned  Sparrows,  feeding  in  the  rank  weeds 
around  the  deserted  half-breed  claims  (Nash).  Fort  Pelly:  In  flocks, 
50  miles  north  of  Brandon,  west  of  the  Assiniboiue,  on  the  road  to  Fort 
Ellice,  October,  1881  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Abundant  spring  and  fall 
migrant ;  Souris  River  (Thompson).  Sliell  River :  1885,  flrst  seen,  three, 
on  May  15;  a  transient  visitant;  not  breeding  (Calcutt). 


598 


THE    UIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


'Hi 


May  24 
singiug  a  bur  like 


Blacklioodcd  spjirrowa  are  here  now  in  force. 


t 


.6— ffiT-SI": 


Many  heard 
one   individual  to  this  added  ii 


warble  sonipwhat  like  that  of  a  bluebird.  The  performance  was  dis 
appointiiigly  short,  but  the  general  impression  gathered  was,  that  who- 
ever happens  to  iiear  the  full  song  ot  the  Hooded  Sparrow  will  know 
one  of  the  sweetest  of  bird  nn'lodies.  During  their  spring  visit  the 
Blackboods  often  uttered  three  clear  whistling  notes,  and  on  one 
occasion  a  soft  bluebird-like  warble  was  added  to  this. 

Soon  after  this  date,  May  24,  they  all  disappeared  as  far  north  as 
the  Duck  Mountain  ;  not  one  was  to  be  seen  in  June.  In  the  middle 
of  October  they  once  more  return  and  abound  for  a  few  days.  The 
young  are  now  with  them,  but  where  hatched  and  under  what  cir- 
cumstances is  as  yet  entirely  unknown.      . 

192.  Zouotrichia  leucophrys.    Whito-crowncd  Sparrow. 

Migrant;  probably  breeding  in  the  northeastern  region.  Winnipeg: 
Transient  visitor  ;  abundant  (Hine).  Oak  Point:  1884;  arrived  May  5 
(Small).  Portage  la  Prairie  :  Tolerably  common;  spring  and  autumn 
visitor;  .arriving  early  in  May  ;  reappears  about  the  20th  September; 
departs  early  in  October ;  first  seen,  in  1884,  May  15  (Nash).  Carberry : 
Bare;  spring  and  fall  migrant  (Thompson).  It  breeds  in  all  parts  of 
the  fur  countries,  arriving  in  the  middle  of  May  and  departing  early 
in  September  to  the  northern  ])arts  of  the  United  States,  where  it 
winters  (Richardson).  Common  near  Leaf  Kiver  (Minnesota),  where 
it  breeds  (Trippe).     Severn  House  (Murray). 

Cnsa  ba  ta  sliish  :  Wliito-crowued  IJmit.ina;.  »  »  ♦  Tliese  liiids  appear  in  May 
and  nttiro  southward  before  the  cold  bcgiim ;  inaico  .-i  nontof  ^ross  and  featbers  in  a 
bimch  of  willow  or  grass;  lay  four  cgns  and  sonictiinos  live,  of  a  dusky  cast ;  tho 
young  fly  about  tbc  begi-uning  of  .July ;  tbeir  lliglitM  aro  sbort.  Wbeu  on  tbe  wing 
tbey  jiro  HHeiit,  but  wlicu  perched  on  an  eleva(ed  spot  net  forth  a  most  melodious 
song.  Tbey  feed  on  iiisecis  and  seeds  of  grass,  etc.  (Hutcbins  MSS.,  Observatiouit 
on  Hudson's  Bay,  1782.) 

193.  Zanotrichia  intermedia.    Intermediate  Sparrow. 

Abundant  at  Mouse  Kiver,  at  the  boundary,  in  middle  of  Septem- 
ber (Cones). 

194.  Zouotrichia  albicollis.     Wbite-throatod  Sparrow. 


itor; 


Common  summer  resident  of  woodlands.  Winnipeg:  Transient  vis- 
abundant  (Hine).  English  Kiver  and  Cumberland  House:  Nest- 
ing near  Lake  of  the  Woods,  May  29  (Kennicott).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Abundant;  spring  and  autumn  visitor;  arrives  about  May  15;  re- 
appears in  great  numbers  early  in  September  and  remains  until  late  in 
October;  the  last  were  seen  by  me  October  31,  1884  (Nash).  Very 
common  around  Lake  Manitoba;  breeding  at  Manitoba  House  June  15 
(Macoun).     Carberry:    Common  summer  resident;    breeding;   Shell 


VOL.  XIII.T 

uoo.   J 


PROCEKDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM 


599 


llivor;  Little  Boj?gy  Creek  ;  Duck  Mountain,  breeding;  Hat  Port  ago, 


October  (Tlionipson).    Shell  lliver:  1885,  first 


seen, a 


pair,  on  May 


(»;  next  seen,  twenty-one,  on  May  19;  a  transient  visitant  (Calcutt). 
East  of  Lake  Wiuni))eg  (on  Nelson  Kiver),  till  September  15  (Blakis- 
ton).  Cumberland  House,  Juno  4,  1827 :  A  female  sitting  on  seven 
eggs  (Richardson). 

July  6,"  1882,  Shell  Kiver:  This  evening  our  camp  was  on  the  edge  of 
that  yawning  crack  in  the  globe  at  the  bottom  of  which  runs  the  Shell. 
As  I  walked  along  the  edge,  wntching  the  setting  of  a  red-hot  sun  that 
was  sinking  amidst  clouds  of  purple  Are,  a  smcall  bird  flew  up  from 
the  gray  woods,  now  in  deep  shadow,  to  the  antlers  of  a  dead  tree,  in 
full  glare  of  the  sun,  and  stirred  within  me  a  huiulred  latent  memories 
with  a  song  I  had  not  hcnrd  for  years.  For  a  minute  or  so  he  sang ;  then 
dived  down  into  the  woods,  again  to  be  heard  faintly  and  seen  no 
more. 

This  is  a  song  I  have  been  familiar  with  from  childhoo<l ;  but  I  have 
never  seen  the  singer  close  at  hand,  and  hsive  found  no  one  who  could 
tell  m(^  its  name.  1  am  now  satisfied  that  it  is  not,  ns  I  was  told  by 
one,  the  Golden  crowned  Thrush.  1  could  have  shot  the  bird  on  this 
occasion  and  so  have  gratified  my  longing  to  know,  but  a  gentler  feel- 
ing restrained  my  hand  until  it  was  too  late. 

On  June  19,  188.'},  I  found  the  nest  of  the  peabody  while  wandering 
with  a  young  friend  in  a  brush  slashing  wherein  were  still  a  few  stand- 
ing trees.  In  a  more  than  usually  oi)tn  part  a  heavy  black  spruce  and 
a  bright  silver  birch  were  wrestling  togetlu  v  like  two  giant  athletes. 
About  the  feet  of  the  wrestlers  were  beautiful  spear  shsjped  calla  leaves 
in  abundance,  growing  through  masses  of  decomposed  twigs — a  tangle 
of  the  living  and  the  dead — and  from  among  these,  in  a  drier  spot, 
sprang  the  peabody's  mate.  The  nest  was  a  deep  cup  sunken  in  the 
ground  among  the  black  moss  and  decayed  twigs.  It  was  lined  with 
black  fibers,  which  made  it  more  like  its  surroundings.  The  four  eggs 
were  mottled  with  a  soft  purplish  gray. 

October  7:  Once  more  in  the  Shell  Kiver  Gorge,  where  first  in  this 
country  I  heard  the  peabody.  It  was  dark  when  wv,  arrived,  antl  a 
gloomy,  cold  autumn  night.  Except  the  rushing  of  the  river  and  the 
hooting  of  an  owl,  the  only  sound  is  the  soft  whistling  of  the  pt  abody. 

This  bird  is  so  well  known  as  a  night  singer  that  in  many  parts  ho  is 
called  the  "nightingale,"  and  I  shall  not  be  surprised  to  find  that  he 
also  has  an  air  song,  and  is  therefore  entitled  to  take  rank  as  a  singer 
of  the  first  ord«^r. 

May  15,  1884,  heanl  a  Peabody  singing  a  song  like  this: 


On  cbocliiiii  i  naw  kauiiiw  liiiNiisli.     »     *     »     This  liinl  visits  na  in  the  spring  and 
leaves  iis  iu  the  eiul  of  September.     It  feeds  on  timn  autl  woruis;  builds  a  nesc  with 


fiOO 


TIIIO    nillDS    OF    MANITOBA THOMPSON. 


mini  on  tliu  ouiside  niul  Htraw  or  graoH  on  th^  inside;  inukcs  choice  of  a  sitiintion  in 
troi's  raisi'd  about  a  yard  from  the  gioniid,  and  lays  from  two  to  five  eggs,  spotted  witli 
black.  Also,  "kawsar  bac  ta  1)0  tha  shish"  •  »  »  This  migratory  bird  is  calloil 
the  conjuring  bird,  because  it  begins  singing  jnst  before  the  bad  weather  ceases,  and 
forebodes  tin  end  of  rain,  etc.,  at  which  time  its  note  is  very  clear,  and  seems  to  re 
bemblo  Ihe  following  words,  "twvvt,  twa'l,  tUldli'Ul  liddlilft,  UddUh'l,"  which  it  takes 
about  a  minute  in  singing.  It  makes  its  nest  in  willow,  lays  four  eggs,  brings  forth 
its  young  about  the  middle  of  July.  (Hutchius  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hudson's  Bay, 

178a.) 

In  1884  last  seen  by  me  at  Portage  la  Priiirio  on  October  ;{1,  feeding  on  the  beriies 
of  the  high  bush  cranberry  (  rihnninm  opiihix),  there  being  ',i  or  4  inches  of  snow  on 
the  groiiml  at  the  time.  Tlioso  birds  do  in.t  bre(i<l  anywhere  near  either  Portage  la 
Prairie  or  Winnipeg.  I  looked  for  the  birds  very  carefully  each  suuwuor  for  0  years 
but  saw  none.   (Nash,  iu  MSS.) 


\m 


i 


195.  Spizella  monticola.    Tree  Sparrow. 

Abuiidant  mijiratit;  Irequeiitiiif;  thickets;  Mouse  Kiver,  October 
(Cones).  Duflerin:  Arrived  before.  April  ir>  (Dawson).  Wiuiiipeg: 
»Sumincr  resident;  abundant;  migrant  (lliue).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Abundant  spring  and  autumn  visitor;  sin  Ives  about  April  10,  remain- 
ing until  about  May  15;  reai)pear8al»out  October  I,  and  departs  about 
October  30,  the  last  stragglers  remaining  until  November  2  (Nash). 
Very  abundant  around  brush  on  the  plains  iu  September  (Macoun). 
Carberry:  Very  abundant  spring  and  fall  migrant;  Rat  Portage, 
abundant  in  October,  1886  (Thompson).  Two  Rivers:  1881,  first  seen, 
twenty,  on  March  23;  next  seen,  April  0;  migrant  (Criddle).  Shell 
River:  1885,  first  seen,  lllty  or  more,  on  April  10;  a  transient  visitant, 
passing  north  and  not  breeding  or  remaining  any  time  (Caleutt).  Lake 
Winnipeg  (north  end):  Septeniber24, 18r)7(HlaUiston).  Severn  House: 
This  bird  winters  in  the  United  States  (Murray). 

Septeuiber  30,  1884:  The  Tree  Sparrows  are  here  again  in  ftocks. 
The  doleful  spell  is  about  beginning,  but  there  is  nothing  doleful  about 
the  Tree  Sparrows.  Jiight  merrily  lliey  chase  each  other  from  branch 
to  branch  on  the  lealless  trees,  twittering  gleefully,  and  ever  and  anon, 
as  tliey  dash  by  in  full  career,  bursts  of  their  music  may  be  heard,  or 
perchani-e  some  member  of  the  merry  (aew  mounts  a  perch  and  lets  us 
hear  his  full  song — a  song  so  sweet  and  varied  that  it  is  surprising  to 
find  his  subgeneric  brethren  credited  with  nothing  better  than  a  pro- 
huiged  twitter.  It  commonly  Irecpients  thick  copses  rather  than  trees, 
and  its  general  habits  would-  entitle  it  to  be  culled  Scrub  Sparrow 
rather  thiin  Tree  Sparrow.  In  the  springtime  it  remains  hero  long 
enough  toletlis  hear  its  first  attempt  at  a  love  song,  then  it  disappears 
in  tlu^  unknown  north. 

196.  Spizella  socialis.     (Miipping  Sparrow. 

One  in  Smithsoninn  Institation  from  lied  River  Settlement;  also  at 
Pembina (i{lakist«>n).  Winnipeg:  Sumnu>r resident;  (olenibly common 
(Uiue).    Oak  Point:  1881,  arrived  April  II;  next  seen  on  the  12tii; 


VOL.  XIII, 1 
I).      J 


ISIM). 


PROOEE DINGS    OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


601 


is  coinnion,  ami  bret'ds  here  (Small).  Portajjo  la  Prairie:  Rare;  sum- 
mer resident ;  arrives  about  M.iy  1  (Nash).  Carberry:  Kaie;  summer 
resident;  breeding  (Thompson).  Qn'Appelle:  Summer  resident;  breeds; 
arrives  April  13  (Guernsey).    Common  in  Minnesota  (Trippe). 

Oil  Juno  (5,  l^i,  found  t\,  nost,  (of  diippy)  :it  I'lirtiino  la  PniiiMi,  contiiining  threo 
eir^H.  I  liavd  noticod  thiit  the  sou^  of  tliiH  Itird  i,s  in  Miinitubii  (liifcicnt  fruni  that 
heard  from  the  species  in  the  East.     (Nasli,  in  MSS.) 

This  species  is  quite  rare  in  Manitoba.  The  earliest  record  I  have  is 
April  10,  1882,  but  this  was  the  only  one  seen  at  the  time,  and  it  was 
fully  two  weeks  before  others  appeared.  After  the  spring  migration  I 
lost  sight  of  the  sj)ecies,  but  afterwards  found  it  in  full  song  at  one  or 
two  places  along  the  edge  of  the  sand  hills.  It  was  seen  only  in  three 
01' four  localities.  These  were,  generally  dry,  sunny  openings  on  the 
edge  of  the  woods.  I  found  one  nest  in  a  low  spruce  tree,  but  I  was 
too  late,  as  the  young  birds  had  llown.  Tiio  male  bird  is  heard  every 
morning  in  spring  and  early  summer,  uttering  his  characteristic,  pro- 
longed twitter  from  some  high  perch  near  his  chosen  bush.  Another 
note  of  this  si)arrow  is  a  short  "chip,"  which  is  so  commonly  heard 
that  it  has  given  rise  to  the  ordinary  name  of  the  species.  The  nest  is 
almost  invariably  lined  with  horse  hair,  whence  the  other  comiuou 
name,  *' Hair  bird." 

197.  Spizclla  pallida.     Clay-colored  Sparrow.    Ashy-nape. 

Very  abundant;  summer  resident  on  s(^rnbby  prairies  and  half  open 
lowlands.  \'ery  numerous  about  Pembina  ;  breeding;  Turtle  Mountain 
and  Mouse  River  ((Jones),  lied  Uiver  Settlenu'nt  (C  A.  Hubbard  and 
D.  Ounn).  Shoal  Lake:  May  IS,  18H7  (dhristy).  Portage  la  I'rairie: 
Very  abundant  summer  resident  (not  at  Winnipeg);  arrives  alK>ut  May 
10 ;  departs  about  September  1.1  (Nash  i.  Lake  Manitoba  and  wj'stward, 
June  10  and  LT),  1881  (Ma(H)un).  Carberry:  In  all  scrublands;  very 
abundant  summer  resident;  breeding  twi(!e  each  season;  Souris  River; 
Fairview;  m'iirFingerboaid  ;  n»'ar  Rapid  C3ity;  near  Birtle;  Hinsearth  ; 
breeding  everywhere;  very  abundant  on  west  side  of  Duck  Mountain 
(Thompson).  Shell  Rivtr:  18S.5,  lirst  seen  on  May  IS;  is  commou  all 
summer,  an«l  breeds  here;  ne.-*t  with  four  eggs  foinid  (Calcutt). 

June  28,  1882.  Trail  15  miles  west  of  Fingerboard;  in  the  evening 
shot  a  ('laycohued  Sparrow.  The  sjiecies  Is  very  abundant  about  here, 
and  its  peculiar  grasshopper-like  notes  are  hoard  from  every  patch  of 
dry  scrub  land. 

June  2!>,  Rapid  (.'ify:  All  si)ring  I  have  been  ])nzzled  by  a  singular 
lisping  song  that  is  uttered  by  a  snnill  sparrow  which  fre<iuents  scrubby 
localities.  The  song,  if  it  may  be  so  called,  may  be  represented  by  the 
syllables  '^ncnr,  wr'/vv,"  sometimes  lepealed  two  or  three  times.  1  have 
at  lengMi  shot  one  in  the  very  act,  and  find  that  it  is  the  (<lay-colored 
Sparrow.  This  Hp(  cit's  is  extreint'Iy  abundant  on  the  prairies  from  here 
to  CarlM^rry  wherever  there  is  any  brushwood.      Its  usual  (MHMtpation 


602 


TIIK    BIRDS    OP    MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


seems  to  be  to  sit  on  some  low  twig  ami  deliver  itselfof  its  husky  notes 
every  few  seconds,  with  all  the  emprcHsement  of  a  lull  opera. 

June  14,  1884,  Duck  Mountains:  Our  camp  is  in  »  bluff  of  low  pop- 
lars and  willows  out  in  the  prairie,  which,  however,  is  more  or  I«^s.s 
scrubby.  Here  in  the  very  early  morning,  before  dawn,  we  are  ofti'ii 
awakened  by  the  buzzing  ^^  scree,  scree^^  ofsome  near  Ashy-nape,  willing 
to  be  thought  a  nightingale.  The  species  is  remarkably  abundant  about 
here,  so  much  so  that  I  can  easily  find  jhree  or  four  nests  of  it  in  an 
hour  or  two 

On  July  28,  as  I  was  writing  by  the  window,  a  family  of  shattncks 
came  rambling  along,  six  in  number,  all  young  birds,  colored  like  old 
ones,  but  streaked  ou  the  head  and  breast  and  tinged  on  the  wings 
with  a  little  chestnut.  In  the  long  weeds  by  the  window  they  found  a 
fine  hunting  ground  and  spent  some  time  in  hunting  about,  picking  up 
a  hnndred  things  which  I  could  not  see  at  all.  !Now  and  then  they 
would  adopt  the  r61e  of  fly  catcher,  and  one  got  badly  scared  by  a  great 
red  butterfly  that  flew  down  beside  him,  but  be  soon  recovered  himself 
and  turned  the  tables  by  attempting  to  turn  butterfly  catcher.  Another 
memb<»rofthe  party  was  a  Savanna  Sparrow,  who  looked  quite  "bob- 
tailed"  beside  the  Shattucks.  T>»e  whole  party  continued  rambling  and 
foraging  in  this  manner  until  at  length  they  rambled  out  of  sight.  This 
seems  to  be  the  usual  way  for  young  birds  to  spend  the  last  of  their 
flrst  season. 

This  small  sparrow  arrives  in  flocks  about  the  12th  of  May.  Its  small 
size  and  pale,  ashy  hue  will  genersiUy  identify  it  as  it  rambles  over  the 
scrubby  parts  of  the  prairie. 

The  song  marking  the  pairing  season  begins  to  be  heard  towards  the 
third  week  of  May  from  a  dozen  points  at  once  and  ceases  about  the 
10th  of  August.  *'  SoMg"  I  call  it  for  convenience,  but  it  is  the  least 
musical  of  a  nundier  of  iiidifl'erent  ])erformances  and  is  much  after  the 
manner  of  Leconte's  Sparrow.  Tliis  bird  mounts  some  perch  and  with 
head  thrown  back  and  with  gaping  beak  utters  a  sound  like  a  fly  in  a 
newspaper — '^Hcrceaerce-acrec''^ — sometimes  giving  but  one  note  and  at 
other  times,  in  the  height  of  the  season  especially,  repeating  the  dulcet 
Ave  or  six  times.  In  the  "intromission  intervals"  be' ween  perform- 
ances, he  sits  immovably  with  the  outward  appearance  and  all  the  grav- 
ity of  an  uncommonly  hard  thinker. 

The  nest  is  usually  flnished  by  the  last  week  in  May,  and  at  this  time 
the  nniles  have  such  ample  time  for  their  mnsie  tlnit  the  scrubby  parts 
are  resonant  from  dawn  to  dusk  with  their  pecidiar  rasping  '*buz'<s." 

The  spot  chosen  for  their  home  is  mostly  in  a  low  bush,  not  more  than 
a  f(K)t  from  the  ground.  As  exception  to  this  rule  1  have  noted  Ave 
nests  on  the  groninl  and  one  or  two  at  a  height  of  I)  feet.  It  is  a  very 
slight  striuiture,  a  good  deal  like  that  of  a  Chipping  Sparrow,  but  com- 
jmsed  entirely  of  grass.  When  coui|>ared  with  other  tree  nests  it  is 
conspicuously  llimsy  and  light-colored,  the  latter  ett'ect  being  due  to  the 


VOL.  XIII,  1 

1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE   NATlONATi   MUSEUM. 


60^; 


ff.  but  coin- 


jib-seiice  of  tlie  black  fibrous  roots  so  comnionlj-  used  as  lining.  The  efjjrs 
are  aiuou|r  the  luodt  beautiful  of  any  produced  by  the.  siuirrows.  When 
first  the  discoverer  draws  aside  the  brush  aud  exposes  the  uest  with  its 
complenieut  his  feelings  are  as  of  finding  an  exqaisiie  casket  of  jewels. 
Although  this  is  one  of  the  most  common  of  our  sparrows,  and  although 
on  the  scrubby  plain  between  the  Duck  Mountain  and  the  Aesiniboine 
iu  early  June,  I  could  have  found  as  many  as  four  or  five  nests  in  an 
hour's  walk,  the  treasure-trove  feeling  in  connection  with  the  eggs 
continues  in  full  force. 

I  infer  from  the  above  and  other  observations  that  the  Shattuck 
Bunting  breeds  twice,  if  not  three  times,  each  season  with  us.  It  leaves 
the  "  Big  Plain  "  about  the  end  of  September. 

198.    Spizella  pusilla.    Field  Sparrow. 

Very  rare  summer  resident.  Eed  River  Settlement:  Breeding  (D. 
Gunn).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine). 
Have  seen  it  west  of  Winnipeg  (H.  II.  ITunter).  Qn'Appelle:  Com- 
mon summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  Ap^il  15  (Guernsey). 

199.  Juuco  hyemalis.    Slat^-colored  Jtiiico. 

Abundant  migrant  frequenting  thickets  .and  hillsides.  Probably 
breeding  in  the  Winnepegosis  region,  as  it  breeds  in  Minnesota  (Trippe). 
Mouse  Eiver :  At  bountlary  in  Se|>tember ;  .abundant  (Coues).  Dufferin : 
Arrived  before  April  15  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Transient  visitor; 
abundant  (Hine).  Ossowa:  Gominon  migrant;  18S5,  first  seen,  two, 
April  7;  next  seen,  April  Ki;  became  common  April  20;  went  north  alxiiif 
end  of  May  (Wagner).  Onk  Point:  l.S.S5,f!rst  seen,  April .'{;  nextseeii. 
April  4,  when  it  became  common  ;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small). 
Portage  la  Prairie :  Abundant  spring  and  autumn  visitor ;  arrivesal>out 
the  first  week  in  April,  reappears  early  in  September,  and  remiiins  until 
November;  the  last  straggler  1  saw  was  on  the  5th  of  that  month ;  it 
is  somewhat  strange  that  1  could  never  find  any  of  these  birds  breedin;: 
here,  as  1  have  several  times  fouml  their  nests  in  the  province  of  Ontario 
(Nash).  Ked  Deer  Kiver  and  As.sinilioine  River,  July,  1881 ;  probably 
breeding  (Macoun).  Carberry :  Very  abun<lant  n)igrant  in  spring  an<l 
fall ;  never  seen  in  summer ;  Rat  Portage,  abundant  in  October  (Thomp- 
son). Two  Rivers:  1884,  April;  1885,  first  seen,  three,  on  Ajril  0; 
m^xtscon,  Aj»rll  17;  migrant  (('riddle).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  s«'en, 
one,  male, on  A])ril.'t;  next  seen,  thirteen, on  April  15;  beciinMH'.ommon 
on  A])ril24;  m.ale  and  female  in  Hock;  a  transient  visitant,  i>assing 
north  and  not  breeding  or  remaining  any  time  ((<alcult.) 

Towards  the  end  of  A|)ril  they  became  very  abnndaiit;  about  that 
time,  iu  1881,  th(>re  was  some  sevens  weather,  with  a  fresh  fall  of  snow, 
and  the  Juucos  disappeared;  but  Mayday  proved  a  beautiful  nunniMg, 
and  every  copse  and  log  pile  Hcenud  alive  with  them  and  their  com- 
rades, the  Tree  Sparrows,  which  appeared  to  come  from  their  various 


601 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


\OI,.  XIII 
1800 


•] 


biding  places;  both  species  at  first  uttered  a  little  "peet"  from  time 
to  time,  but  when  the  weather  became  warmer  two  songs  were  rei)eai 
edly  heard  froni  the  flock  ;  one  a  sweetly  varied  stiaiii  Irom  the  Troo 
Sparrow,  the  other  a  twittering  something  like  the  ditty  of  the  hair- 
bird,  but  stronger  and  uiore  bell-like  in  the  tone.  This  is  the  soug  of 
the  Junv.o ;  whether  it  has  or  has  not  a  more  ambitious  refraiu  reserved 
for  the  far  away  secluded  dells  of  its  birth  I  can  not  yet  say. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  all  the  Juncos  and  Tree  Sparrows  disap- 
pear; not  one  remains;  all  go  to  the  far  north  to  breed.  Even  in  the 
Duck  Mountain,  I  saw  not  a  single  specimen  during  the  summer. 

Towards  the  end  of  September  these  two  species  return  to  the  Big 
Plain,  in  mixed  flocks  as  before,  and  continue  about  for  a  week  or  two, 
but  ready  to  fly  at  the  first  intimation  of  really  c<dd  weather  or  snow. 

This  is  the  only  species  of  our  common  sparrows  that,  when  adult, 
entirely  discard  the  streaked  plumage,  and  the  fact  is  perhaps  due  to 
its  choice  of  breeding  locality,  for  it  alone  frequents  wooded  hillsides, 
while  its  near  relations  are  all  found  nesting  more  or  less  in  grassy 
places,  where  their  streaked  plumage  affords  them  a  means  of  conceal- 
ment. 

The  Towhee  exemplifies  a  similar  specialization ;  as  its  adult  plu- 
mage more  nearly  assimilates  it  to  the  leaf  strewn  ground  where  it 
lives,  than  would  the  streaky  ])lumage  of  i'^s  youth. 

Abonr  t!i«  hocoiuI  wu^k  in  Soptoinbor  the  snowbirds  or  .Iniicos  (./itnco  hyemalh) 
be^nii  to  Itccoiiio  abiindaut  about  Carberry  and  roniainod  so  for  at.  loast  a  month. 
(Christy.) 

200.  Jiinco  hyemalis  shufeldti.    Hhufcidt's  Jiinco. 

This  form  accompanies  hyetnalis  in  the  migrations  at  Carberry 
(Thompson). 

201.  Melospisa  fasciata.    .Sonjc;  Sparrow. 

Snmmer  resident ;  chiefly  in  woods  along  water  courses.  One  speci- 
men, Turtle  Mountain  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abun- 
dant (Mine).  Southern  shore  of  Lake  Winnipeg;  breeding (Kennicott). 
Norway  House  (Hell,  1880).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  April  11;  1886, 
first  seen,  one,  on  April  13 ;  next  seen  on  April  15;  is  common  and 
breeds '»ere  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common  summer  resident; 
arrives  about  April  0;  departs  October  1 ;  December  30,  1885,  1  found 
o\\K\  wintering  about  the  stables  on  a  farm  at  Hnrnside ;  he  seemed  very 
happy,  and  sang  as  if  his  surroundings  suited  him  (Nash).  Common  at 
Lake  Manitoba  in  1881  and  on  the  prairies  in  brushy  places  near 
water;  nearly  always  fall  in  the  water  when  shot  (Macoun).  Car- 
berry: Scarce;  summer  resident ;  breetling  ;  Portage  la  Prairie,  more 
common;  breeding  west  side  of  Duck  Mountain;  breeding,  liat  Portage, 
in  October  (Thompson).  Shell  River :  1H85,  first  seen,  five,  on  A])ril  18; 
seen  every  day  afterwards,  becoming  common  on  April  28;  common 


t* 


VOL.  XIII, 
1880, 


•] 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


605 


ows  disap- 
ven  ill  tUe 
imer. 

to  the  Bi}f 
ek  or  two, 
T  or  snow, 
lien  adult, 
aps  due  to 
1  billHidcH, 
in  8;'"Ji»s.v 
of  couceal- 

adult  pin- 
;  where  if, 


nco  hyen}aliH) 
iHt  a  luoutU. 


i  Carberry 


One  speci- 
)nt;  abun- 
Kennicott). 
Ill;  1886, 
ininion  and 
r  resident; 
m,  1  found 
jenuMl  very 
Jonnnon  at 
lacoH  near 
un)>  Car- 
airie,  more 
it  Portage, 
I  April  18; 
i',  coiumou 


siiinincr  resident,  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common 
summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  April  1  to  5  (Guernsey). 

July  22, 1884,  Portage  la  Prairie:  Found  the  nest  of  a  Song  Sparrow 
with  four  eggs.  The  bird,  whieh  I^hot,  seemed  a  very  small  specimen. 
The  nest  was,  as  usual,  close  by  a  running  stream.  Three  of  the  eggs 
were  hardset ;  one  was  fresh  ;  the  ground  color  of  the  three  was  palo 
{rreenish,  of  the  last  a  delicate  cream-color;  after  being  blown  the 
creamy  became  of  the  same  color  as  the  others ;  one  measured  -^  by  ^f ; 
it  was  heavily  spotted  as  usual;  the  rest  were  similar. 

This  habit  of  sitting  before  the  clutch  is  all  laid  seems  common  in 
the  Northwest.  No  doubt  the  necessity  for  saving  the  eggs  from  frost 
induces  immediate  sitting,  so  that  the  young  inevitably  often  appear 
of  diflbrent  ages.  (Cf.  Kingbird,  Vesper  Bird,  liobin,  as  well  as  Hawks 
and  Owls.) 

202.  Melospiza  lincolnl.    Liucoln's  Sparrow. 

Migrant  in  l^rge  numbers  at  the  boundary  on  Mouse  River,  Septem- 
l>er  1<>,  October  5  (Coues).  Carberry :  liare  spring  and  winter  migrant 
(Thompson). 

203.  Melospiza  georgiana.    Swamp  Sparrow. 

Common  summer  resident ;  nesting  in  swamps  that  have  some  wil- 
lows about  them.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine). 
Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  April  24  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Abundant;  summer  resident ;  arrives  about  April  25;  departs  about 
2()th  September  (Nash).  Mouse  Kiver,  at  the  boundary,  middle  of 
Sei»tember  to  second  week  of  October  (Coues).  Carberry:  Very 
abundant  summer  resident;  breeding  in  every  slough  (Thompson). 
(^u'Appelle:  Common  summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  September  18 
(Guernsey). 

To  the  Swamp  Sparrows  wo  are  indebted  no  little  for  the  merry 
twittering  and  the  bustling  signs  of  life  about  the  brushy  sloughs  and 
reedy  swamps  of  our  country. 

They  delight  in  these  damp  thickets  and  may  be  seen  continually 
scrambling  around  in  the  sedge  and  wet  tangle  or  running  on  the  Hoat- 
ing  reeds,  holding  "their  skirts"  very  high,  standing  very  high  on 
titeiv  legs,  with  tails  much  raisiMl,  and  otherwise  showing  great  fear  of 
getting  wet.  When  they  take  wing,  they  Hit  over  the  water  with  rust- 
ling flight  and  tail  rapidly  pumping  up  and  down ;  they  usually  make 
for  the  nearest  bush  or  tussock,  and  then  appear  to  tumble  into  it 
with  nervous  haste. 

While  Hying  and  climbing  about  in  the  sedge,  they  often  utter  a  short 
chirp,  which  is  readily  distinguishable  when  once  hoard,  butcan  not  be 
described  in  a  way  that  would  assist  in  its  identitication. 

The  comnu)nest  song  of  this  s[>ecies  is  a  simple  rapid,  ^^  fwettwet- 
twet-twvt-tuiet-twet-twcttwettivvlticvt-lwct^''^  all  in  the  sanu)  note  and  so 


'.^i' 


600 


rilE    IJIUDS    OF   MANITOBA THOMPSON. 


rapi<lly  as  to  be  almost  a  twitter.  This  is  uttered  at  intervals  from 
some  dead  branch  projecting  above  tiie  rest  of  the  copse.  If  not  dis- 
turbed the  singer  will  sit  (piietly  on  this  porch  for  an  hour,  repeating 
his  ditty  once  or  twice  a  minute,  but  if  approached  or  alarmed  ho 
drops  into  the  tangle,  and  so  eludes  both  eye  and  gun.  The  bird  is 
plentiful  in  the  Northwest,  and  every  willow-fringed  slough  is  ringing 
with  their  song,  so  that  I  cannot  understand  Dr.  Coues  writing  "The 
song  1  have  never  heard." 

Nuttall  describes  the  song  as  a  simple  twitter,  and  this  is  not  wrong; 
but  it  is  long  since  I  learnt  to  ailix  a  note  of  interrogation  to  the  state- 
ment commonly  made  of  many  of  our  passerine  birds,  "  a  simple  twit- 
ter is  its  only  note!"  Something  else  is  sure  to  turn  up.  Why,  Wil- 
son said  that  of  the  Vesjur  llird !  In  the  gloaming,  after  sundown  on 
the  20th  of  May,  1884,  I  was  strolling  along  the  edge  of  a  desolate- 
looking  green  and  brown  slough,  when  suddenly  a  small  brown  bird 
arose  out  of  the  sedge,  singing  in  air  so  sweet  and  tender,  yet  strange, 
that  I  stood  rapt.  I  never  thought  of  shooting ;  soon  the  unknown 
melody  was  over  iiih-  the  air  song  hnished  with  the  familiar  twitter  of 
the  Swamp  Sparrow. 

There  was  a  time,  not  long  gone  by,  when  nearly  all  the  birds  were 
strangers  to  me,  and  whenever  a  new  singer  was  Iieard  or  seen  I  felt 
something  like  a  shudder,  a  perfect  thrill  of  delight  and  anxiety.  As 
I  learned  and  knew  them  one  by  one,  these  extreme  feelings  came  less 
often,  for  it  was  only  a  stranger  that  had  such  power  to  move,  and  on 
that  evening,  the  first  time  lor  long,  I  wiis  deeply  moved  by  the  voice 
of  an  unknown  bird.  Dnce  or  twice  afterwards  1  thought  I  heard 
short  bursts  of  song  from  tlu  JMarsh  Wrens  tnat  sounded  like  fragments 
of  the  same  strains,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  mysteriousand 
delightful  songster  was  the  Swamp  Sparrow,  whose  "only  note  is  a 
simple  twitter." 

This  song  resembled  the  evening  chant  of  a  ba.ywing,  but  was  softer 
and  possessed  the  cliarm  of  weirdness  that  might  have  been  derived 
largely  from  the  circumstances  and  surroundings. 

204.  Paaserella  iliaca.    Fox  Bpurrow. 

Migrant,  not  very  common,  brecduig  at  Dnek  Mountain.  T>uiferin: 
Arrived  between  April  15 ami  HO  (Dawson).  Winnijieg:  Summer  visit/or, 
abundant  (Hine).  I'ortage  la  Prairie:  Regular  but  not  very  common, 
spring  aud  autumn  visitor;  arrives  about  April  22,  reappears  early  in 
O'.tober,  and  deptarts  at  the  end  of  the  month  (Nash^.  In  woods  on 
Duck  Mountain,  September  .'{;  one  shot  at  Livingstone  September,  1881 
(Macouu).  Uncommon  spring  migrant  at  Cailierry ;  abundant,  breeding 
on  the  west  side  of  Duck  Mountain  in  June  1<S84  (Thompson).  I  ob- 
served it  between  Hudson's  Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg  (on  Nelson  River) 
in  September  (Ulakiston). 

June  10,  1884,  Duck  Mountain:    Tlie  Fox  Sparrow  is  quite  common 


VOL.  XIII,  1 
IHOU.      J 


PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE    NATIONAL    MUSEUM. 


607 


ite  comiuon 


Iiero,  ami  evidently  breeding.  Its  loud  ringiiij?  notes  are  to  be  heard 
on  all  sides  among  the  timber  on  the  mountain  slopes  and  in  the  blufl's 
that  dot  the  plain.  Unfortunately,  my  ettorts  to  lind  a  nest  were  not 
successful.  The  habits  of  this  fine  bird  exhibit  much  of  the  dash  an<l 
style  of  the  Wood  Thrushes ;  it  manifests  a  preference  for  the  more 
oiien  woods,  and,  when  singing,  is  often  perched  on  the  top  of  some 
isolated  tree. 

205.  Fipilo  erythrophthalmus.    Towhec. 

Common  summer  resident  in  sheltered  scrublands;  not  uncommon 
about  I'embina,  breeding  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident  toler- 
ably common  (lline).  Northwest  to  Selkirk  Settlement  (Brewer).  Oak 
Point,  1885 :  First  seen,  two  on  May  18,  next  seen  on  May  19;  is  common 
and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portiige  la  Prairie:  Common  summer  resident ; 
arrives  about  June  1,  departs  about  Sei>tember  20  (Nash).  Carberry  : 
Common  summer  resident  of  dry,  sheltered  scrublands  (Thompson). 

On  July  5,  1883,  shot  a  Towiiee  female,  length  8-,  the  species 
is  quite  common  along  the  dry,  sunny,  scrubby  banks  of  the  slough  to 
the  east.  The  common  song  is  like  ^^ChuckburrpUl  a- w  ilia- will  a,^^  it 
has  also  a  note  like  "•  Twee  {in)t  Towhee). 

JJy  August  30,  tlie  Towliee  seems  to  have  gone. 

X..8  Southern  Manitoba  is  about  the  northmost  region  of  this  bird's 
distribution,  full  observations  on  its  local  habitat  niav  result  in  con- 
clusions of  giMieral  interest  on  the  subject,  as  the  reasons  for  its  choice  of 
locality  will  probably  be  much  more  apparent  than  in  its  metroiwlis. 

206.  Pipilo  maculatuB  arcticus.     Arctic  Towlioe. 

Along  tlio  piiralli'l  of  49  ilogrooH  tlii.s  ti>riii  l)ecoiii(!s  CHt'iibli8lie<-1.  at  toast,  jm  far  eattt  au 
tli«  Mouso  Riv«'r,  wbero  I  Hccurud  a  Hpocimeii  in  Sejitetiiber  16,  1871}  (iJr.  Coucs). 

207.  Habia  ludoviciana.     Roso-breastod  Grosbeak. 

Common  summer  resident  of  thickets;  breeding  in  abundance  at 
Pembina  ((/oues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resit!ent;  abundant;  found  it  as 
far  north  as  Fairford  (Fline),  north  to  Selkirk  Settlement  ( Brewer).  Oak 
Point,  1884:  Arrived  March  20  (small).  Por.age  la  Prairie:  Tolerably 
common  summer  resident,  arrives  about  May  22.  I  toniid  a  nest  June  7, 
containing  two  eggs;  t'.eparts  early,  probably  as  so(»n  as  the  young  can 
fly;  not  found  by  me  near  Winnipeg  (Nash).  AtLake  Manitobaand  Bed 
Itiver  abundant,  probably  breeding  (Macouu).  Carberry:  Tolerably 
common  summer  resident  (Thompson).  Two  Rivers,  KSS"):  Saw  one 
on  May  2r*  (Criddle).  Shell  Itivei"  1885:  First  seen  one  male  on  May 
14;  seen  every  day  afterwards;  is  common  all  summer  and  lireeda  here 
(Calcutt). 

On  June  28,  188"  mi  a  sprnce  thicket  among  the  saiidliills,  I  noticed 
a  large  blat^k  and  white  bird,  singing  a  song  somewhat  like  that  of  the 
Oriole.   The  song  was  strong  and  spirited ;  on  my  nearer  ai>proach,  the 


608 


THE    BlUDS   OF    MANlToHA — THOMPSON, 


i': 


bird  disai)i)eai'ed  in  ji  tangled  thicket,  whence  at  times  he  uttered  a 
peculiar  " c7tM»7i;,"  as  lie  threaded  its  mazes.  I  managed,  hoMcver,  to 
get  a  good  look  at  him,  and  found  he  was  a  Kose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

On  July  17,  near  the  mill  in  the  spruce  bush,  I  shot  a  Hose- breasted 
Grosbciik,  niiile,  length  8,  extension  12A;  stomach  full  of  catapillars 
small  insects,  and  seeds.    The  species  is  not  uucommon  here. 

208.  Calainospiza  melanocorys.     Lark  liimtiiij:;.     lUifrulu  Bird. 

Probably  Man itobau ;  rare,  noted  on  Souris  Plain  and  west  to  Cy- 
press Hills  (Macoun).  Moorsejaw,  Northwest  Territory,  July  18,  lS8i. 
Buffalo  Birds  quite  common  (Miller  Christy). 

(The  first  of  the  above  records  refers  partly  to  the  extreme  south- 
west of  Manitoba,  and  may  entitle  this  bird  to  a  place  in  our  list — E. 
E.T). 

209.  Piraiiga  erythromelas.    Scurlot  Taua^or. 

Kare  summer  resident  in  woodlands.  Winnipeg:  Accidental  visit- 
ant at  Fort  liouge,  just  across  Main  Street  Bridge,  I  saw  one  speci- 
men, a  male.  May  1.5,  1887,  on  the  bank  of  Assiniboiue  River  (Hiue). 
TTorth  to  Lake  Winnipeg  (Ridgway).  "  I  saw  one  pair  only  about  the 
6th  June,  1880,  in  township  13,  range  J  east,  where  I  cami»ed  for  a  day 
(it  was  the  first  and  only  time  I  liad  ever  seen  the  birds,  but  my  com- 
panion, Mr.  Clementi-Smith,  now  of  Brandon,  who  had  lived  several 
years  in  Ontario,  told  me  ho  had  seen  several  pairs  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Winnijieg),  the  pair  were  nesting  when  we  saw  tliem ;  they 
were  within  20  feet  of  us  for  a  couple  of  hours.  Mr.  Clementi  had  rec- 
ognized their  peculiar  call,  for  half  a  mile  before  we  saw  them  (It.  II. 
Hunter).  (Ju'Appelle ;  occurs  sometimes,  but  is  rather  rare  (Guern- 
sey).   In  Minnesota,  common  (Trippe). 


210.  Progne  subis.     I'urplu  Martiu. 

Rare  sumnuM- rpsidevt.  Oak  Point,  1884:  Arrived  May  19  ;  scarce; 
1885,  first  seei  ,  one  on  I^iay  17  ;  next  seen  three  on  May  20 ;  is  common 
and  breeds  here  (Small).  Winnipeg  :  Summer  resident  tolerably  com- 
mon (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Scarce  summer  resident  in  1884;  first 
seen  May  23;  common  since  18SG;  later  and  at  Winnipeg  (Nash). 
Lake  Manitoba :  Rare ;  one  pair  collected  at  Manitoba  House  (Macoun). 
Oarberry  :  Rare,  and  not  known  to  breed ;  Pembina  Hiver  (Thompson). 
Two  Rivers,  1885 :  First  seen,  two  on  May  20 ;  next  seen  May  28, 
(Criddle).  Turtle  Mountain  :  Breeding  (Cones).  Shell  River,  1885: 
First  seen,  one  male  on  May  23;  next  seen,  two  more  same  day;  not 
breeding,  transient  visitant  only  (Calcutt). 

On  May  18, 1882,  at  Pembina  River,  near  Plum  Lake:  Found  cue  or 
two  hollow  oak  trees  in  a  thiis,  scraggy  wood,  along  by  the  river,  that 
were  tenanted  by  half  a  dozen  pairs  of  Purple  Martins.    The  birds 


vol..  .\UI,1 
18»0.     J 


PROCKEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


609 


uttered  n, 
owover,  to 
rosbeak. 
jc- breasted 
catapillars 

ird. 

est  to  C.v- 
y  18,  188*1. 

Dine  Bouth- 
)ur  list — E. 


ental  visit- 
oue  si>eei- 
ver  (Hiue). 
about  the 
d  i'or  a  day 
;t  my  com- 
t^ed  several 
the  shores 
them;  they 
iti  had  rec- 
hem  (11.  JI. 
are  (Gueru- 


19;  scarce; 
is  coinmou 
3rably  com- 
i  1884;  first 
»eg  (Nash). 
e(MacouH). 
Fhompson). 
n  May  28, 
liver,  1885: 
\},  day ;   not 

)uud  oiie  or 

river,  that 

The  birds 


were  seen  entering  in  by  holes  that  had  evidently  been  made  by  the 
Golden- winged  Woodpecker. 

Siuco  1886  common  in  Portage  la  Prairio  and  Winnipeg  during  their  breeding  sea- 
son. Tlie  iirst  I  ever  saw  in  tlio  Province  arrived  at  Portage  la  Prairie  May  IHiTd, 
1884.  Tiiere  were  two,  a  male  and  fuuialo.  These  birds  bred,  and  after  bringing 
their  young  out  of  the  nest  remained  until  August  23,  when  they  disappeared.  On 
tlie  13th  of  May,  1885,  several  pairs  arrived  and  bred,  departing  as  soon  as  the  young 
could  fly.    Since  that  they  have  Increased  greatly.      (Nash  iu  MSS). 

211.  Petrochelidon  lunifrous.    Cliflf'  Swallow,  House  Swallow,  Eave  Swallow. 

Very  abundant  summer  resident.  l!^esting  about  buildings;  most 
abundant  of  the  family,  breeding  at  Pembina,  and  along  the  line  west- 
ward to  the  Kockies  (Ooues).  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident ;  abundant 
(Hine).  "House  Swallow"  Ossowa  (Wagner).  Oak  Point,  1884: 
Arrived  May  22  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  summer  resi- 
dent; arrive  about  May  16;  depart  usually  the  first  week  in  August; 
in  1884,  first  seen  May  17,  (Nash).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common 
along  the  river  banks  nesting  in  great  numbers  in  Little  Souris  and 
Qu'  Appelle  ttivers  (Hine,  1858).  All  along  rivers  in  the  Northwest 
(Maconn).  Carberry :  Eare.  Brandon :  Abundant.  Shoal  Lake,  west : 
Very  common.  FortEllice:  Abundant.  Assissipi:  Very  abundant; 
breeding  (Thompson).  Shell  Eiver,  1885 :  First  seen,  eighteen  on  May 
23;  afterw.irds  seen  every  day;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds 
hereunder  eaves  (Calcutt).  Qu' Appelle:  Summer  resident,  breeds ; 
arrives  about  May  10  (Guernsey). 

On  May  25, 1882,  at  Brandon,  under  an  80-foot  barn  eave  that  faced 
the  south,  and  stood  by  the  river,  I  counted  fifty-four  nests  of  the  Cliff 
Swallow  and  the  remains  or  foundations  of  many  more ;  many  were 
bunched  together  in  tiers,  two  or  more  deep. 

On  July  4,  at  Fort  Ellice,  on  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  buildings 
along  the  river,  are  large  numbers  of  Cliff  Swallows'  nests.  All  the 
higher  buildings  the  Sheltered  River  Valley  have  numbers  of  them 
under  the  eaves,  but  none  of  the  buildings  on  the  hills,  or  at  the  ele- 
vated fort,  are  ornamented. 

On  June  4,  1884,  near  Shoal  Lake,  west,  saw  above  thirty  Cliff  Swal- 
lows' nests  under  the  eaves  of  a  house  that  stood  near  a  small  lake. 
The  birds  had  evidently  been  iu  possession  of  their  nests  for  some  time, 
as  they  were  thoroughly  repaired,  but  very  few  had  b'^gun  to  lay. 

June  6.  Asscssipi :  Although  the  carpenters  have  scarcely  finished 
the  new  mill,  and  hotel,  over  three  hundred  pairs  of  Cliff  Swallows  have 
begun  to  build  under  the  eaves.  The  noise  of  such  an  extensive  colony 
is  discernible  at  a  great  distance,  and  is  not  altogether  considered  pleas- 
ant by  the  tx)wuspeople.  The  remarkably  favorable  circumstances  that 
have  called  this  colony  so  soon  into  existence  are  high  walls  in  a  shel- 
tered hollow,  with  a  sunny  exposure  and  proximity  to  a  sheet  of  water. 

Mr.  George  A..  Blake,  of  Edmonton ;  has  sent  me  a  photograph,  taken 
in  Fort  Saskatchewan,  which  shows  about  five  hundred  Cliff"  Swallows' 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 3{) 


'u 


610 


THE   BIRDS    OF    MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


nests  ou  a  Bingi'e  gable ;  in  some  piats  the  ranks  on  tbia  photograph  are 
fifteen  deep. 

Although  taking  possession  of  their  nests  as  soon  as  they  arrive,  thes*! 
birds  do  not  begin  to  lay  until  2  weeks  later.  On  the  4th  of  June  I  ex- 
amined a  number  of  these  mud  bottles  on  an  empty  house,  a  little  be- 
yond Shoal  Lake,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  although  all  were 
tenanted  very  few  as  yet  rvutained  eggs,  and  most  of  these  only  one. 
All  of  these  large  colonies  are  placed  noticeably  near  some  lake  or  river, 
and  an  exauiinatioTi  of  the  gizzard  of  one  shot  at  this  last  mentioned 
place,  showed  it  to  contain,  besides  flies,  a  large  number  of  water 
beetles,  so  that  when  the  bird  is  seen  low  skimming  over  the  water  and 
dipping  its  bill  from  time  to  tin  e,  it  is,  beyond  doubt,  mure  often  feed- 
ing than  drinking. 

About  the  23d  of  August  the  Cliff  Swallows  may  be  seen  leaving  the 
Big  Plain  in  ilocks. 

Tho  cliff  swallow  hud  built  its  nests  in  ^rout  numbers  on  the  banks  of  tho  rivor  (As- 
biuiboine,  at  Portage  la  Prairie),  which  roHe  about  16  feet  above  the  level  of  tin* 
watttr.  I  counted  uoless  than  thirteen  groups  of  theui  within 'a  disi.iuco  of  5  miles, 
whjn  drifting  down  in  a  e  '.loe.  The  cliff  swallow  was  afterwiird  seen  in  great  num- 
bers on  thf>  Little  Souris,  tho  south  bran(;h  of  tho  Saskatchewan,  and  the  (^u' Aypello 
Eivers.  (Hino,  1858.)  The  colonies  are  increasing  yearly.  They  soon  e  tablish  them- 
selves in  every  small  settlement  that  is  built  up  and  also  about  farm  buildings. 
Arrive  about  May  W,  dej  art  as  soon  as  the  young  can  Uy  well,  usually  the  first  week 
in  August  (t^ash,  in  MSS.). 

212.  Cbelidon  erjrthrogaster.    Barn  Swallow. 

Very  rara  sumnier  resident.  Mouse  Kiver  and  various  other  points 
along  thu  line  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Accidental  visitant ;  rare  (Hine). 
Portage  la  Pra  ;rie :  Doubtful  (Kash).  Curberry :  Kare  spring  visitant ; 
arrived  May  1 1, 1882,  and  Jlay  4, 1884  (Thompson ).  Shell  River,  1885 : 
First  seen,  four,  on  May  30 ;  transient  visitants  only  ;  not  breeding  (Cal- 
cutt).  Qu'  Appelle :  Summer  resident ;  breeds ;  arrives  about  May  20 
(Guernsey). 

I  recollect  seeing  a  flock  of  swallows  that  tenanted  a  certain  barn  in 
Ontario  leave  en  masse  during  a  heavy  thunder  storm,  and  perch  on  a 
bare  tree  in  the  drenching  rain,  I  suppose,  for  the  sake  of  the  bath. 
Has  this  any  connection  with  the  notion  that  swallow-tenanted  biirns 
are  safe  from  lightning?  The  withdrawal  of  the  swallows  during  the 
storm  when  some  barn  has  been  >itruck  may  have,  by  an  ancient  and 
honorable  process  of  logic,  given  rise  to  the  idea  that  tho  circumstances 
"'ere  cause  and  effect.  ^ 

This  bird  does  not  occur  near  Portage  la  Prairie  or  Winnipeg.  I  once  tliongbt  I 
saw  one  at  tin  former  place  skim  past  my  boat,  but  as  tin  morning  was  very  misty 
and  I  never  saw  another,  I  may  be  mistaken.    (Nash,  in  MSt!  ; 

213.  Tdohyciucta  bioolor.    T»-.3e  Swallow.    White-breasted  Swallow. 

Common  summer  resident  of  wooded  regions;  at  Pembina  breeding 
iu  srijail  numbers  (Coues).    Winnipeg:  c'.umni 3):  resident;  abundant 


VOL.  XIII,  1 
189U.  J 


PKOCEEDINGS  Or  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


611 


(Hiuu).  Oak  Point,  1884 :  Arrived  May  3, 1885 ;  tirst  seen,  one,  ou  April 
28 ;  next  seen  on  May  6 ;  is  comnion  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage 
la  Prairie:  Common  summer  resident  in  1884;  first  seen  April  27; 
arrives  about  April  20;  departs  early  in  August  (Xash).  Common 
along  rivers  in  the  Northwest,  ne^iting  in  old  hollow  trees  at  Grand 
Valley  (Macoun).  Carberry :  Common  summer  resident;  breeding 
(Thompson).  Qu'AppcUe:  Summer  resident;  breeds:  arrives  about 
May  10  (Guernsey). 

On  July  17,  went  to  the  White  Horse  Hill.  Found  a  Large  eolouy  of 
White-breasted  Swallows  nesting  in  the  old  Woodpeckers'  holes,  with 
which  the  timber  is  riddled,  on  the  margin  of  the  lake  that  lies  north 
.and  east  of  the  hill.  This  is  the  largest  colony  1  have  seen.  It  num- 
bers, i)erhaps,  twenty  pairs.  Nearly  all  of  these  settlements  that  I 
have  noted  have  bet*n  close  to  a  sheet  of  water.  However,  they  are 
usually  to  be  found  wherever  the  timber  is  large  enough  to  be  hollow, 
and  scarce  enough  to  cast  no  gloom  about  the  chosen  district. 

214.  Clivicola  riparia.     Bank  Swallow.     Sand  Murtiu. 

Somewhat  common  summer  resident;  local  in  distribution.  Pem- 
bina: Breeding  in  colonies,  and  along  the  line  to  the  Kockies  (Cones). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Tolerably  common;  summer  resident;  arrive  labout  May  22;  depart 
about  August  23  (Nash).  Very  abundant  in  the  Northwest  (Macoun). 
Portage  la  Prairie ;  Assinniboine,  near  Souris'  Mouth ;  Yellowquills' 
Ferry  (Thonjpson).  Shell  River,  1885:  First  seen,  sev^enteen,  on  April 
30;  afterwards  seen  every  day;  is  common  all  summer,  and  breeds 
here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appello:  Summer  resident;  breeds;  arrives  about 
J\Iay  10  (Guernsey). 

8liash  y  win  e  pcHboii  (Martin)-  It  resorta  bitlier  in  tho  beginning  of  Juno;  bar- 
burH  about  the  Hteop  batiks  of  liverH,  wliero  it  breeds  in  holes,  making  a  slight  nest 
of  straw  and  feathers,  and  lays  iive  white  eggs.  It  is  tho  latest  breeder  of  tho  lliid- 
soii'sUay  feathered  tribes.  I  liavt»  repeatedly  fonud  new-laid  eggs  in  tho  latter  oud 
of  July,  and  by  tho  luiddloof  August  not  ono  of  tho  Swallow  species  is  to  be  seen.  A 
fow  days  before  their  disappearanue  they  collect  in  numbers  to  particular  ponds  nigh 
Severn  Settlement,  and  lly  about  along  the  surface  of  the  water. 

I  have  interrogated  the  natives  who  reside  here,  also  those  inland,  concerning  tho 
Swallow  being  found  torpid  under  water,  but  to  no  purpose;  indeed,  they  laugh  at 
my  (luestion.  I  agree  with  tho  learned  Dr.  Forster  that  Swallows  may  bo  under  water 
unknown  to  tho  natives,  as  they  don't  examine  umler  the  ice  in  tho  winter;  they,  for 
tho  most  part,  angle  for  fish.    (Hutchiu's  MSS.,  Obs  TV-itions  ou  Hudson's  Bay,  1782.) 

These  birds  do  not  breed  in  colonies  here,  but  excavate  their  holes  in  tho  bank  of 
the  Assiuiboiue  Kiver,  singly,  and  somo  distance  apart.  They  are  late  in  nesting. 
On  the  21st  of  July  I  to<d£  out  a  uest.  It  was  <]uito  new,  but  contained  no  eggs.  I 
saw  the  old  birds  going  in  aud  out  of  tho  hole  the  day  before,  and  Just  previous  to 
my  oxumiuiug  it.     (Nash,  in  MSS.) 

215.  Ampelis  garrulus.    liohomian  Wax-wing. 

Winnipeg  :  Winter  visitant;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  I  have  seen 
these  birds  in  this  country  in  the  month  ol  April  only  (Hunter).    >  ort- 


612 


THE    BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


'-;  If 

-  ■  :IS 


iM! 


M  lit 


ago  la  Prairie :  Uegular  but  not  a  commoa  winter  visitor  here;  usually 
iu  April  (Nash).  Oarberry :  Winter  visitant  onco  noted  (Thompson). 
On  November  23,  1886,  saw  a  flock  of  about  twenty  Bohemian  Chat- 
terers, the  only  ones  I  have  seen  in  the  country.  By  a  marvellous 
chance,  I  brought  down  one  with  the  rifle  without  seriously  injuring  it, 
as  the  ball  simply  broke  its  back. 

216.  Ampelis  cedronim.    Cw'm  Wux-wiiig.  Cherry  Bird. 

Common  summer  resident  of  woodlands;  Mouse  Kiver,  near  the 
Boundary  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine). 
lied  Eivor  settlement  (Blakiston).  As  far  north  as  Lake  Winnipeg 
(Bidgway).  May  31,  on  an  island  on  Winnipeg  Biver,  saw  a  large 
flock  of  fifty  or  more(Kennicott).  Pennawa  Biver  (Eliud.,  September, 
1857).  Ossowa:  Common  breeding;  1885,  first  seen  one  on  May  15; 
next  seen  May  17 ;  became  common  on  May  19  (Wagner).  Oak  Point: 
1884,  arrived  May  5 ;  scarce  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Abundant 
summer  resident ;  in  1884,  first  seen  June  2 ;  arrives  June  1,  departs 
early  in  September  (Nash).  Abundant  Manitoba  (Macoun).  Carberry : 
Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  Duck  Mountain.  Portage  la 
Prairie  (Thompson).  Shell  Biver:  1885,  first  seen  five  on  June  5;  is 
common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle:  Common; 
arrives  May  22- (Guernsey). 

On  July  22,  1884,  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  found  the  nest  of  a  Cedar> 
bird  in  the  woods  near  the  river.  It  was  placed  on  the  branch  of  a  low 
oak,  and  was  much  the  same  as  specimen  taken  iu  the  eastern  prov- 
inces. It  contained  two  fresh  eggs,  from  which  I  infer  that  the  species 
is  a  very  late  nester  here.  I  do  not  think  it  arrives  early  enough  in 
the  season  to  raise  two  broods. 

Its  favorite  haunts  are  the  tops  of  the  trees  along  the  river  banks, 
and  from  these  it  may  be  seen  to  launch  out  into  the  air  every  few 
seconds  to  capture  some  passing  insect,  returning  to  the  perch  each 
time  to  devour  the  dainty  morsel. 

This  bird  is  a  most  expert  iiy  catcher,  bawkiug  about  over  the  rivers  after  a  species 
of  Ephemera  that  appears  iu  July.  When  engaged  in  this  pursuit  they  will  remain 
on  the  wing  for  half  au  hour  or  more  at  a  time,  hovering  and  working  to  and  fro  over 
a  space  of  100  yards  of  water.  Generally  a  good  many  of  the  birds  are  in  the  air  at 
the  same  time,  when  the  sight  is  a  very  pretty  one  (Nash  in  MSS). 

217.  Lanius  borealia    Northern  Shrike. 

Tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  visitant.  Duflerin :  Arrived  be- 
fore April  15  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Tolerably  common  (Hine).  Por- 
tage la  Prairie :  Begular  spring  and  fall  migrant;  in  1884,  first  seen 
April  11 ;  beard  of  it  two  weeks  before ;  arriving  about  April  10,  re- 
maining a  short  time,  and  returning  about  October  1 ;  departing  at  the 
end  of  the  month  (Nash).  Carberry :  Tolerably  common  spring  and 
fall  visitant  (Thompson).     Arrives  at  Carberry  April  7  (W.  G.  A. 


VOL.  XIII,  n 

1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


618 


Brodie).  Shell  Biver :  1885,  first  seen,  one  male,  on  March  14  (Cal* 
cutt).  Touchwood  Hills  (Macoun).  Between  Hudson's  Bay  and  Lake 
Winnipeg  (on  the  Nelson  Biver),  September  17, 1857  (Blakiston).  Trout 
Lake  Station  (Murray). 

April  5,  1882 :  Snow  3  to  4  feet  deep  everywhere.  In  the  woods  to 
the  east  shot  a  splendid  Northern  Shrike.  The  venniculations  on  its 
breast  were  almost  obliterated.  This  was  left  on  the  roof  of  the  shanty 
until  I  had  time  to  skin  it.  While  at  dinner  we  observed  another 
Shrike  tearing  at  a  bird  on  the  snow,  some  yards  away.  Ou  shooting 
it  I  found  it  was  also  a  borealis ;  its  breast  fully  pencilled ;  and  the 
bird  it  was  devouring  was  the  other  Shrike,  which  it  had  carried  from 
the  roof. 

On  October  23  a  Shrike  came  careering. around  the  stacks  after  an 
unfortunate  Sparrow,  which  speedily  took  shelter  under  the  litter.  The 
Shrike  hovered  over  it  like  a  Kestrel,  and  then  swooped.  I  now  en- 
tered on  the  scene,  and  lired,  but  missed  him.  He,  however,  left  the 
sparrow  and  dashed  off  with  such  an  aristocratic  air  and  graceful  ac- 
tion that  I  almost  felt  I  had  been  engaged  in  a  very  small  piece  of 
business  in  thus  interfering  in  the  private  affairs  of  a  gentleman. 

Wa  Paw  Wiaky  John,  or  Great  Asli-colored  Butcher  Bird  of  Pennant.  This  bird 
harbors  at  all  seasons  in  the  year  a  little  distance  inland  and  makes  a  shrieking  noise* 
In  April  it  builds  a  round  uest  of  grass,  straw,  and  feathers,  neatly  interwoveu  half 
way  up  a  juniper  or  pine  tree,  and  lays  four  light-blue  colored  eggs.  Time  of  incn- 
batioD,  15  days.    (Hutcbins'  MSS. ;  Observations  ou  Hudsou  Bay,  1782.) 


218.  Lanius    ludovicianua 


excubitorides. 

Shrike. 


White-rumped   Shrike.     Common 


Gommon  summer  resident  of  half- wooded  districts ;  common  breed- 
ing; Pembina  and  Turtle  Mountain  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer 
resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Shoal  Lake  May  15  and  20, 1887 
(Christy).  Carberry:  Common  summer  resident;  breeding  (Thomp- 
son). Shell  Biver:  First  seen,  one  male,  March  14;  next  seen,  one 
female,  summer  resident ;  breeds  near  my  station  (Calcutt).  Qu'Ap- 
pelle:  Common;  breeds  (Guernsey). 

On  May  22, 1.S84,  on  a  barb  of  the  wire  fence,  I  found  a  brown  cricket 
firmly  impaled.  It  was  evidently  not  an  accident,  but  the  work  of  a 
Shrike,  for  as  crickets  are  found  only  in  August,  this  must  have  been 
in  its  present  position  for  eight  months. 

On  May  25,  found  a  large  yellow  burying  beetle  (Neorophagus)  im- 
paled on  a  barb  of  a  wire  fence,  no  doubt  by  a  Shrike. 

On  July  6,  went  with  Gordon  Wright  and  Miller  Christy  to  the  Big 
Slough  on  Pine  Creek  to  see  a  spring  that  issues  from  a  bed  of  petrified 
moss.  Found  two  nests  of  the  Common  Shri  ke,  the  young  of  both  broods 
being  fledged  and  able  to  fly. 

In  November  saw  a  number  of  grasshoppers  impaled  on  the  barbs  of 
the  wire  fence,  evidently  this  had  been  the  work  of  Shrikes. 


614 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


t\ 


>   <, 


At  least  ono  species  of  Shriko  is  common  and  breeds,  building  its  nest  largely  of 
the  stalks  of  a  species  of  Gnnpkalium  in  the  branches  of  the  low,  scrubby  oaks  that 
cover  the  sand-hills  (Christy). 

219.    Vireo  olivaceus.    Ked-eyed  Virco. 

Abundant  summer  resident  of  woodlands :  Abundant  at  Pembina, 
breeding  (Coues).  Northwest  to  Lake  Winnipeg  (Brewer).  Winnipeg: 
Summer  resident,  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie  :  Com- 
mon summer  resident  (Nash).  Oarberry:  Abundant  summer  resident 
in  woodlands,  breeds  (Thompson).  Very  abundant  about  Lake  Mani- 
toba, breeding  (M.icoun).  Cumberland  House,  June  2,  1827  (Richard 
son). 

On  Angust29, 1882,  C.  T.  caught  a  Red-eyed  Vireo  down  by  the  Slough. 
It  was  hurt  in  the  wing,  at  least  it  seemed  incapable  of  Hight.  It  fought 
fiercely,  biting  at  the  fingers  and  snapping  like  an  owl.  When  I  laid 
it  down,  it  threw  itself  on  its  back  and  fonght  like  a  hawk;  on  hold- 
ing my  finger  towards  it,  it  seized  hohl  with  its  foot  and  allowed  itself 
to  be  carried  so.  It  socmed  to  have  an  insatiable  appetite.  It  will  eat 
as  many  dragon  flies  of  the  largest  kind  and  as  fast  as  we  can  catch 
them  for  it,  and  they  are  far  from  being  a  rare  insect ;  six  of  the  smaller 
kind  it  swallowed  whole  in  rapid  succession,  the  larger  ones  he  holds 
to  the  perch  with  his  foot,  and  breaks  them  up  before  swallowing.  One 
of  the  latter  was  given  to  him  alive  and  caused  iiim  some  trouble;  they 
had  quite  a  struggle  on  the  floor  of  the  cage  before  he  mastered  it,  for 
the  dragon  fly  was  i«early  as  long  as  himself. 

August  31.  The  Vireo  rea«lily  eats  raw  meat.  His  dietary  today,  in- 
cludes three  dozen  house-ties,  the  entrails  of  a  s|)arrow,  six  dragon 
flies,  a  couple  of  large  grasshoppers,  a  coui)le  of  crickets,  and  the  greater 
part  of  another  sparroNV. 

September  1.  Each  day  the  Vireo  disgorges  a  pellet  of  the  indigesti- 
ble part  of  its  food.  This  is  globular  and  iibout  one  quarter  of  an  iiu;h 
in  diameter.  This  nu)niing  he  devoured  the  entrails  of  a  bobolink,  a 
few  crickets,  and  a  numl)er  of  naked  caterpillars ;  tlH>  latter  he  readily 
eats,  but  he  refuses  to  touch  the  hairy  ones. 

September  3.  The  Vireo  is  dead,  it  proved  a  male ;  length,  55  ;  ex- 
tent, !>|.  An  examination  showed  clearly  that  in  spite  of  the  enormous 
meals  it  hod  daily  made,  it  had  died  of  stiir\  ation.  Tlie  stomach  was 
quite  empty,  the  fat  everywhere  totally  absorbed,  ami  the  breastbone 
nearly  cutting  the  skin.  From  this  we  may  form  an  idea  of  the  enor- 
mous quantity  of  insect  food  gathered  by  this  bird  when  at  liberty  and 
providing  for  its  young  as  well  as  itself. 

July  17,  188.'J.  Today  the  nest,  of  a  lledeyed  Vireo  found  June  27, 
contained  o\n\  young  one  ready  to  fly,  anotluM*  but  half  grown,  and  an 
egg  which  was  near  Iwing  hat^ihed.  The  nest  was  composed  outwardly 
of  waH]>  luist  paper.  As  usual  with  this  species,  the  old  birds  did  not 
api)ear  to  be  nuick  concerned  about  me.    They  hopped  ({uietly  about 


I 


VOL.  XIII  "1 
1800.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


615 


the  branches  over  my  head,  and  evidently  kept  an  eye  on  me,  but  to  a 
careless  glance  they  might  appear  to  be  merely  climbing  about  in  search 
of  their  prey. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  song  of  this  species  so  that  it  will  be 
recognized ;  but  once  heard  it  will  be  remembered,  for  no  other  bird 
keeps  np  such  an  incessant  utterance  of  disconnected  btirs.  During 
the  whole  of  his  serenade  the  Eed-eye  will  sit  motionless  and  fear 
lessly  among  the  leaves  within  a  few  feet  of  one's  head,  and  so  often 
have  my  most  earnest  efforts  to  sight  the  voluable  songster  been 
frustrated  under  tliese  circumstances  that  I  begin  to  understand  how 
the  fable  of  the  singing  leaves  may  have  originated. 

220.  Vireo  pliiladelphicus.    riiiliidolphia  Vireo. 

Summer  resident  of  thickets.  Summer  resident;  it  undoubtedly 
breeds  about  Pembina  (Ooues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident  toler- 
ably common  (Hine).  Shoal  Lake;  May  20,  1887  (Cliristy).  West 
Slope  of  Duck  Mountain  breeding,  nest  found  (Thompson). 

On  June  0,  1884,  near  Fort  Pelly,  on  the  u|)per  Assiniboine  I  found 
a  Vireo  nesting  in  a  small  bluft'  of  poplar  and  willow.  The  chosen 
site  was  in  the  twigs  of  a  willow  some  10  feet  from  the  ground ;  the 
nest  was  the  usual  suspended  cnj)  formed  of  fine  grass  and  strips  of 
birch  bark.  On  the  grontid  immediately  below  it  was  another  nest  of 
precisely  the  same  make  and  materials:  intending  to  take  this  with  me 
on  my  return  I  hung  it  in  the  tree,  but  when  1  (iatne  back  I  found  it  on 
the  ground,  it  was  again  hung  as  before,  and  ogain  thrown  down, 
although  it  had  been  llrmly  attached  to  a  twit:'.  This  happened  several 
times  so  that  there  was  little  doubt  tliiit  it  was  the  N'ireo's  doing,  but 
why  ?     I  can  not  imagine. 

On  Juno  13,  the  Vireo  began  to  sit  on  her  four  eggs.  T  shot  her  and 
found  her  to  correspond  exactly  with  (3oues'  description  of  pUilmJelphi' 
cm,  except  that  the  yellow  on  the  breast  was  quite  bright.  The  eggs 
closely  resembled  those  of  the  Red  eyed  Vireo,  but  were  destroyed  by 
an  unfortunate  accident  before  they  wrre  accurately  measured.  In  its 
habits  tlie  bird  exhibited  the  strange  mixture  of  shyness  and  fearless- 
ness, common  to  the  family ;  she  would  rontiinu>  on  her  nest  while  I 
watched  her  at  a  little  distance,  and  when  alarmed  would  quietly  hop 
on  a  twig  and  tluMi  disappear  in  the  foliage  without  uttering  a  com- 
plaint. 

221.  Vireo  gilvus.     Winltliiip  Viri<o, 

Sumnwr  resident  of  woodlands ;  in  abundance  at  Pembina  (Cones). 
Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  toleial»ly  j'omuum  (Hine).  Selkirk 
Settlements  (I Irower).  Pottage  la  Prairie:  Common  summer  resident 
(Nash).  CarlRirry:  Common  summer  resident;  south  slope  of  Riding 
Mountain,  west  side  of  Duck  Mountain  (Thompson). 


I  m 


« i: 


' 


616 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


i  A 


U  Yi 


m 


222.  Vireo  flavifrons.    Yellow-throated  Yireo. 

Bare  saminer  resident.  Winnipeg:  Rare;  accidentJil  visitor  (Hine). 
July  18, 1884,  Miller  Christy  brought  me  specimen  of  Yellow-throate<l 
Vireo  from  Moosejaw  (Thompson). 

223.  Vireo  solitaritis.    Bliie-hoaded  Vireo. 

Bare  snmmer  resident;  one  secured  at  Pembina  June  4  (Cones). 
Winnipeg:  Bare  (Hine).  Long  Biver:  Duck  Mountain;  apparently 
breeding  (Thompson). 

On  June  10,  1884,  at  Duck  Mountain,  a  solitary  Vireo  was  observed. 
It  was  uttering  a  note  like  peechoeee,  somewhat  like  the  call  of  a  Gold- 
finch or  a  Linnet. 

224.  Mnlotilta  varia.    Rlnck-and-Whitc  Warbler  or  Creeper. 

Pembina :  Juue ;  prob.ably  breeds  (Coues).  Bed  River  Valley :  Sum- 
mer resident;  common  (Hunter).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  toler- 
ably common;  breeding  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Rare  summer 
resident ;  arrives  about  May  15,  departs  in  \ugust  (Nash).  Waterhen  : 
Biver.  Probably  breeding;  Juno  24, 1881  (Macoun).  Bare  at  Cumber- 
land House  (Bicbardson).  Carberry:  Common  in  migration.  Duck 
Mountain :  Common ;  breeding  (Thompson). 

June  10, 1884,  Duck  Mountain :  The  Black-and- White  Creeper  is  an 
abundant  species  in  the  spruce  woods  here ;  its  note  is  a  thin  twitter, 
like  a  Cedar-bird  in  a  hurry ;  it  may  be  suggested  by  the  syllables, 
«  Chipili,  chipitij  chipiti,  chipiti,^  uttered  faster  and  faster  till  it  be* 
comes  a  mere  twitter. 

225,  Helminthophila  rufioapilla.    Nashville  Warbler. 

Bather  rare;  summer  resident  of  woodlands.  Winnipeg:  Summer 
resident;  rare  (Hine).  Duck  Mountain:  Breeding  (Thompson).  Cum* 
berland  House:  Male,  May  15, 1837  (Richardson). 

On  Juno  11, 1884,  at  Duck  Mountain,  1  found  the  Nashville  Warbler 
in  fall  song  and  evidently  breeding.  Its  w::rble  is  something  like  that 
of  the  Summer  Warbler,  and  may  be  rendered,  "  Toil  toil  toit  toit 
ohip-ite-ip-ite ipitiipitipitipitif^ the  last  part  being acontiuuous  twitter. 

226.  Helminthophila  oelaia,    Orange-crowned  Warbler. 

Common  snmmer  resident  in  woodland.  Mouse  River :  Abundant  at 
the  lM)undary  in  September  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  rare 
(Hine).    Carberry:  Common  summer  resident;  breeding  (Thompson). 

On  May  13,  1883,  shot  an  Orange  crowned  Warblej;.  it  was  tlitting 
about  with  great  activity  among  the  poplar  catkins,  an«I,  from  time 
to  time,  uttering  a  loud  song  like  "  ohip-c  ohip-e  chip  e  chip-e  chip-e.^ 

On  May  14  I  shot  another  Orange-crowned  Warbler.  Its  song  is  much 
like  that  of  the  Chipping  Sparrow,  but  more  musical  and  in  a  higher  key. 


VOL.  Xllt.l 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


617 


The  bird  is  cxfromely  restless  aud  lively,  moviug  about  continually 
among  the  topmost  twigs  of  the  trees  aud  uttering  its  little  ditty  about 
once  in  every  half  minute.  1  have  noticed  it  in  all  the  wooded  sections 
near  Carberry,  and  am  disposed  to  believe  that  it  breeds  here. 

227.  Helminthophila  peregrina.    Tennessee  Warbler. 

Bare  summer  resident.  Pembina:  Common  ;  migrating  early  in  June 
(Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine).  Northern 
shore  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  June  6  (Kinnecott).  Duck  Mountains.  Toler- 
ably common;  breeding.  Carberry:  Fall  (Thompson).  Cumberland 
House,  May  28, 1827  (Richardson). 

June  11, 1884,  Duck  Mountain  :  Tennessee  Warbler  is  somewhat  com- 
mon. It  usually  frequents  the  heavy  timber,  and,  in  its  activity  and 
general  habits,  it  presents  the  same  features  as  the  rest  of  the  family.  Its 
song  begins  with  a  note  like  ehipiti,  chipiti,  repeated  a  dozen  or  more 
time.s,  with  increasing  rapidity,  then  suddenly  changed  into  a  mere 
twitter. 

June  12,  Duck  Mountain.  Collected  Tennessee  Warbler ;  apparently 
breeding. 

228.  Dendroica  tlgrina.    Cape  May  Warbler. 

Common  summer  resi(!^nt.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant 
along  the  river  (Mine).  North  to  Lake  Winnipeg  (liidgway).  Shoal 
Lake,  May  16,  1887  (Christy). 

229.  D«ndroloa  aestiva.    Yellow  Warblor.    Spider  Bird.    Willow  Warbler.    Wil- 
low Wren. 

Very  abundant  summer  resident  in  thickets  everywhere.  Abundant, 
Pembina  and  Mouse  liiver  at  the  boundary  (('ones).  Winnipeg: 
Abundant;  breeding  (Uine).  Shoal  Lake,  March  10,1887;  common 
(Christy).  Ossowa:  Common  ;  breeding;  1885,  first  seen,  one  on  May 
18;  next  seen,  May  li);  became  common.  May  20  (Wtigner).  Oak 
Point,  1884:  Arrived,  May  20,  1885;  first  seen,  one  on  May  16;  next 
seen  on  May  23;  is  common  aud  breeds  here  (SnuUl).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Common  summer  resident ;  breeding;  arrives  about  May  16; 
departs  early  in  August  (Nash).  Common;  breeding  throughout  the 
Winnipegosis  region ;  the  common  species  of  Poplar  brush.  Lake 
Manitoba,  June  15  to  20 ;  Waterhon  River,  June  23  (Macoun).  Shell 
River,  1885;  first  seen,  three  on  May  15;  afterwards  seen  every  day  j 
is  common  all  summer,  and  breeds  here  (Caloutt).  Qu'Appello:  Com^ 
nion  summer  re.Hido.nt  (Ouernsey).  Carberry  :  Abundant  summer  resi- 
dent. Breeding  also  in  all  wooded  localities  from  Carberry  to  Fort 
Ellico  (Thompson).  Trout  Lake  Station :  Sevory  House ;  known 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  fur  countries  (Murray). 

June  3,  1884,  Rapid  City  Trail    The  numerous  groves  along  the 


618 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


trail  here  are  vocal  with  the  merry  warble  of  the  Yellow  Warbler. 
It  is  oue  of  the  commonest  birds  of  the  district,  and  is  to  be  found  in 
all  the  poplar  and  dry  willow  clumps.  A  specimen  collected  was  a 
male  in  full  song  and  very  rich  plumage,  in  its  stomach  was  a  mass  ut' 
various  insects. 
September  8th :  Yellow  Warblers  are  singing  and  going  southward. 

230.    Dendroica  coronata.    Myrtle  Warbler. 

Abundant  migrant;  a  few  breed  here;  abundant  in  September; 
along  Mouse  River  at  the  Boundary  (Cones).  Dufferin:  Arrived  be- 
tween April  2(>  and  25  (Dawson).  Winnipig:  Summer  resident;  abuii 
dant  north  (Hine).  Shoal  Lake  May  18,  1887  (Christy).  Portage  la 
Prfiirie :  The  most  abundant  Warbler  we  have,  in  spring  an(i  autumn, 
arrives  about  May  1,  re  appears  in  August  and  departs  about  the  end 
of  September  (Nash).  Lake  Manitoba,  June  (Maconn).  Carberry: 
very  abundant  migrant;  Souris  River;  Turtle  Mountain  ;  Portage  la 
Prairie;  breeding,  common  on  Duck  Mount:? in  (Thompson).  Shell 
River,  1885,  first  seen,  ninteen,  on  April  30  j  afterwards  seen  every 
day  in  migration  ;  a  transient  visitor,  only  passing  north  and  not  breed- 
ing (Calcutt).    Cumberland,  May  28,  1827  ;  iloust^  (Richardson). 

May  5,  1884:  Flocks  of  male  Myrtle  birds  have  made  their  appe.ar- 
ance.  The  bare  branches  of  the  yet  leafless  trees  are  enlivened  by 
them  everywhere,  as  they  flit  about  in  pursuit  of  the  myriad  insects, 
they  look  like  small  Flycatchers  and  the  partial  illusion  is  increased  by 
the  oft-repeated  note,  which  is  mxn'h  like  that  of  Empidonax  minimus. 

On  Juno  10,  Duck  Mountain,  shot  a  male  Myrtle  bird.  The  species 
evidently  breeds  here,  its  song  is  frequently  heard  in  the  spruce  woods, 
it  partakes  of  the  same  general  character  as  that  of  other  Warblers. 
It  resembles  the  syllables,  '^  pheo  pkcn  pheo  pheo  pheo  pheo  phco,  phew 
pheo,  pheir  phee,  phew  phee,  pheir  phcc,  phew  phee,  phew  phee.^^  The  first 
part  being  uttered  very  rapidly,  and  the  last  with  more  deliberation. 

September  12,  Portage  la  Prairie:  The  town  today  is  fairly  flooded 
with  Warblers  in  autumnal  plumage,  passing  southward.  Yellow- 
rumps  constitute  a  very  large  propcution  of  the  host  that  is  making 
the  return  journey.  Their  ranks  are  now  swelled  by  great  numbers  of 
the  young,  whose  liveries  are  so  various  and  often  so  very  un-yellow- 
rump-like,  that  they  may  cause  the  beginner  no  little  perplexity. 


231.  Dendroioa  maculoaa.    MfiKnolia  Warbler.  v 

Rare;  migrant.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  common  (llino).  Found 
at  Duck  Ray,  Lake  Winnipegosis  (Maeoun).  This  is  a  common  bird 
on  the  banks  of  the  Stiskatciiewan :  Cumberland  House,  May  20,  1827 
( Hichardson).  Carberry  :  1  observed  a  small  flock,  and  secured  a  single 
specimen  in  young  plumage,  August  21, 1884  (Thompson). 


VOL.  xnt,i 

1800.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP  THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


619 


232.  Dendroica  pensylvanica.    CheBtnut-sidcd  Wurblcr. 

Common  summer  resident  in  woodlands.  Pembina :  One  female  speci- 
men, June  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  abundant  (Hine). 
Portage  la  Prairie :  Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  arrives  about 
May  30,  departs  in  August  (Nash).  Lake  of  the  Woods:  May  29  (B. 
Koss).  Carberry:  Abundant  in  migration;  commonly  breeding;  Duck 
Mountain,  commonly  breeding  (Thompson).  In  Minnesota  rather  rare ; 
breeds  (Trippe). 

On  June  21,  1883,  while  at  the  spruce  bush  collecting,  I  heard  the 
loud  song  of  what  proved  to  be  the  Chestnut-sided  Warbler  from  a  cer- 
tain grove  of  tall  poplars.  The  specimen  collected  was  a  male ;  length, 
5 ;  stomach  full  of  small  insects ;  evidently  it  was  breeding.  It  is  a  true 
Warbler,  bei 'ig  seen  and  heard  continually  among  the  trees.  Its  choice 
of  locality  usually  causes  it  to  be  found  chiefly  in  half-open  woods,  es- 
l»e('ially  along  the  edges  of  low,  marshy  places.  While  singing  I  have 
always  observed  that  it  kept  among  the  branche.*  of  the  taller  trees. 
Its  song  is  somewhjit  like  that  of  the  Orange-crowned  Warbler.  I  can 
recall  it  to  mind  by  the  aid  of  the  syllables  <'  Chipe,  chipe,  chipe, 
chij}  e,  chip  e,  fm/ c/</ji>,"  the  single  emphatic  syllable  near  the  end  be- 
ing the  most  tangible  dili'ereiice. 

June  10,  Duck  Mountain :  Tlie  Chestnut  sided  Warbler  is  quite  com- 
mon in  this  wooded  region,  and  is,  no  doubt,  breeding  here.  It  fre- 
quents the  tops  of  the  highest  trees,  and  from  time  to  time  utters,  with 
little  variation,  the  already  tlescribed  song. 

233.  Dendroica  castanea.     May-brcaHtctl  Warhlor. 

Kare;  summer  resident.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident ;  rare;  found 
along  the  river  (Mine).  North  to  Hudson  Bay  (Ridgway).  Portage 
la  Prairie:  Uather  uncommon;  summer  resident;  arrives  about  May 
30  (Nash). 

234.  Dendroica  striata.    ]tluckpoll  Warbler. 

Kare;  migrant;  probably  breeding.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident; 
tolerably  common  ;  probably  breeding  (Hine).  Carberry:  Kare;  spring 
Uiigrant;  noted  once  only  (Thompson).  Cumberland  House:  ISIay  25, 
1S27  (Richardson).    Trout  Lake  (Murray). 


235.  Dendroica  blackburniae.    Hlackbiirnian  Warbler. 

Rare;  summer  resident.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably 
common  as  far  north  as  Big  Island,  Lake  Winnipeg  (Nine).  Swan  Lake 
iind  I'orcupine  Mountain:  Probably  breeding  (Mactmn).  Carberry; 
.luno  3,  1883,  saw  a  male  Blaokbnrnian  Warbler  to-day,  the  only  one  I 
have  observed  in  tlio  country  (Thompson).  "  Sylvicola  parun,^  Severn 
House:  Trout  Lake  Stiition  (Murray). 


620 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


a 


236.  Denf^roica  vigo/sii    Pir  8  Warbler. 

Rare  trammer  resident  of  the  wooded  coantry  to  the  north  and  east. 
Winuineg,  Common  (Hine).  Tolerably  common  in  eastern  part  of  the 
province,  '.vhere  they  appear  abont  the  end  of  May  (R.  H.  Hunter). 
Duck  Bay,  Lake  Winnipegosis,  latter  part  of  June  (Maconn). 

237.  Dendroioa  palmarum.    Palm  Warbler.    Ridpoll  WptMer. 

Abundant  migrant,  on  the  prairies  as  well  as  in  vroods.  Bed  Biver 
settlement  (Brewer).  Winnipeg:  Abundant  in  migration  (Hine). 
Garberry :  Abundant  migrant  on  the  prairie,  chiefly  in  spring,  Fort- 
age  la  Prairie  (Thompson).  I  saw  only  one  individual  at  Cumberland 
House,  May  26, 1827  (Bichardson).  Minnesota :  Goes  further  north  to 
breed  (Trippe). 

On  May  14, 1883,  I  saw  great  numbers  of  Bedpoll  Warblers.  They 
were  in  the  buslies  and  also  straggling  all  over  the  prairie;  far  from 
timber  and  not  exactly  in  flocks.  They  are  noisy,  restless  birds,  and, 
as  many  observers  have  remarked,  they  are  largely  terrestrial,  and  have 
many  of  the  habits  of  the  Pipits.    I  collected  three  specimens. 

It  passes  through  this  neighborhood  and  during  the  summer  has  not 
been  seen.  Yet  from  the  facts  that  it  is  exceedingly  common  here  and 
rare  at  Cumberland  House  one  might  almost  infer  that  it  breeds  in  the 
Duck  aiid  Porcupine  Mountains. 

238.  SeiuniB  aurocapillus.    Ovenbird. 

Common  summer  resident  of  woodlands.  Winnipeg :  Summer  resi- 
dent; abundant  (Hine).  B.\ieding  near  English  Biver,  July  15  (Kenni- 
cott).  Bed  Biver  Valley :  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hunter). 
Portage  la  Prairie:  Tolerably  common  summer  resident;  arrives  in 
May,  departs  in  September  (Nash).  ^  bundant  around  Lake  Manitoba ; 
doubtless  breeding  (Maconn).  Carberry  :  Tolerably  common  summer 
resident;  breeding  (Thompson).  Cumberland  House,  June  2,  1827; 
breeds  (Bichardson). 

In  Manitoba  my  opportunities  of  observing  this  bird  were  very  few^ 
but  since  then,  while  resident  in  Ontario,  I  have  been  most  advanta- 
geously situated  for  cultivating  its  acquaintance.  I  have  in  particular 
become  very  familiar  with  the  famous  air-song,  so  long  a  puzzle  to  the 
naturalists,  that  it  utters  in  the  evening  while  floating  in  the  air  above 
the  tops  of  the  forest  trees.  This  song  may  be  heard  daily  during  the 
nesting  season  by  those  who  know  when  and  wliere  to  neek  for  it,  and, 
so  far  froM  being  unusual,  it  will  be  heard  more  often,  even,  than  the 
ordinary  ^^  teacher"  refrain,  which  seems  to  l)e  but  little  more  than  a 
call  note.  One  of  the  most  interesting  facts  about  this  lark<like  song 
is  that  it  may  be  heard  at  almost  any  hour  of  the  night  in  the  grove 
where  a  pair  of  these  birds  have  settled  for  the  love  season. 


VOL.  XIII,  1 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


G21 


239.  SeiuruB  uoveboracensis.    Water-tbiush  or  Wagtail. 

Summer  resident  along  water-courses.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resi- 
dent;  abundant  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley:  Summer  resident;  toler- 
ably common  (Hun*«r).  Around  the  lakes  of  the  Northwest  Territory 
(Macoun).  Garberry:  Augi!«it,  1884  (Thompson).  Severn  House  (Mur- 
ray). 

On  August  9, 1884,  at  Humphreys  Lake,  I  found  the  Water-wagtail 
very  nuraorous  for  the  first  time,  so  that  evidently  the  species  is  migrat- 
ing. They  were  to  be  seen  all  along  the  margin  skipping  about  over 
the  floating  rushes  and  bladderwort  (utricularia),  bobbing  their  tails 
and  uttering  their  "  chit  chit "  in  a  tone  very  like  that  of  a  Myrtlebird  or 
Least  Flycatcher.  They  are,  however,  even  more  noisy  when  in  the 
ti'?es.  One  specimen  which  I  shot  seemed  as  much  annoyed  by  my  in- 
trusion as  though  it  had  a  nest  close  at  hand :  this  one  was  6  inches 
long ;  stomach  full  of  small  insects. 


240.  Geothlypis  agilis.    Connecticut  Warbler. 

Somewhat  common  summer  resident  of  tamarac  swamps.  Winnipeg : 
I'are  (Hine).  Carberry:  Tolerably  common;  summer  resident;  nest 
found  June  21,  1883.  Duck  Mountain:  Tolerably  common;  probably 
breeding  (Thompson). 

On  June  21, 1883, 1  found  the  nest  and  eggs  of  the  Connecticut  War- 
bler. On  June  29,  in  the  spruce  bush,  I  shot  a  Connecticut  Warbler, 
a  male;  length,  6  inches;  stomach  tilled  with  insects;  it  haunted  the 
tops  of  the  low  tamaracs  and  sang  u  song  like  "  Beecherbeecher-beecher- 
beecher." 

June  14, 1884,  Duck  Mountain:  One  or  two  pairs  of  Connecticut 
Warblers  are  breeding  in  the  tamarac  swamp  near  here.  Besides  the 
song  already  recorded  I  have  noted  another  type ;  it  nearly  resembled 
the  syllables  *^Fruchapplefru-chapple/ruchapple  whoit,"  and  is  uttered 
in  a  loud,  ringing  voice,  quite  unlike  the  weak,  hurried  lisping  of  the 
Wood  Warblers,  which  arc  nesting  abundantly  in  the  adjoining  dry 
spruce  woods. 

The  life  history  of  this  graceful  species  L  as  so  long  continued  involved 
in  obscurity  that  it  is  with  exceptional  p  easuro  I  find  myself  enabled 
to  cast  light  upon  several  of  the  most  important  of  its  habits.  I  had 
the  good  luck  to  find  its  nest,  the  first  of  the  kind  known  to  science. 
(TLis  was  subsequently  sent  with  the  bird  to  the  Smithsonian  Institu- 
tion, where  the  identification  was  confirmed  and  the  nest  finally  de- 
posited.)  The  find  was  announced  in  the  "Auk"  (April,  1884,  p.  192). 
I  reproduce  the  article : 

A  few  luilea  south  of  Carberry  Ih  n  largo  spruce  busb,  and  iu  the  middle  of  it  a  wide 
tfttnaruo  swamp.  This  Intter  is  a  gray  mossy  bog,  luxuriant  only  with  pitcher  plants 
and  drosorin.  Over  its  Hurfaoo  at  regular  intervals,  as  tl  ough  jilu  itud  by  the  hand  of 
in«D,  grow  the  slim,  straight  tamaracs,  grizzled  with  moss,  but  not  dense  nor  at  all 


622 


THE    BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


',  . 


II   M    i- 


',  i 


'^ 

1, 

ii,    ;i 

1 ,1 

( 

Im 

A 

1 

crowded;  their  light  leafage  cuHta  almost  no  uhadu,  so  that  they  always  look  n,s 
though  just  abont  to  end,  though  the  swamp  really  continues  for  miles  the  same  dark- 
gray  waste.  I  had  often  visited  the  bog  when  on  exploring  expeditions  iu  the  neigh- 
borhood, but  seldom  found  any  bird-life  of  special  interest.  On  the  day  nientioued, 
while  out  collecting,  I  had  braved  the  mosquitoes  and  traversed  the  bog  for  some  dis- 
tance, when  beside  the  wliistling  croaks  of  tlio  great  crested  and  olive-sided  Fly- 
catchers, usually  the  only  bird  voices  of  the  place,  my  ear  caught  the  clear  song  ot  a 
Warbler.  It  may  bo  suggested  by  the  syllables  "  beecherbeecher  beechar-becvher  beevhev- 
beevher."  It  was  somewhat  like  the  song  of  the  Oven-bird,  but  difl'ereut  in  being  of 
the  same  pitch  throughout  instead  ot  beginning  in  a  whisper  atd  increasing  the  eiii- 
X)hasis  and  strength  with  each  pair  of  notes  to  the  last.  Guided  by  the  sound  I  fouiid 
the  bird  high  np  in  a  tamarac.  It  was  much  less  shy  than  the  Wood  Warblers,  so 
that  it  was  easily  secured.     It  prcvoti  to  be  a  male  Connecticut  Warbler. 

As  I  went  on  a  smaP  id  sp'- ■  su)  lonly  from  one  of  the  grave-like  moss-mounds 
by  my  feet.  It  seemed  ->  re  :  and  r;  n  along  with  its  wings  held  up  like  a  Plover 
just  alighting.  On  scei  ,;  E.i;i!  '  "  ould  not  be  decoyed  away  it  returned  and  ran 
around  me  in  the  same  att  m  -S'.  '' "cognizing  it  as  the  Connecticut  Warbler  I  stilled 
all  feelings  of  pity,  adde.d  i.  oird  \  >  iv  bag,  and  then  sought  out  the  nest  in  tlio 
niossi  It  was  composed  entirely  of  fine  ^i  'ss  and  sunken  iu  the  ground  as  already  de- 
scribed. The  eggs,  four  in  number,  measured  .75  by  .5(5  inch.  Before  being  blown  they 
were  of  a  delicate  creamy  white,  with  a  few  spots  of  lilac,  purple,  brown,  and  black 
inclined  to  form  a  wreath  ivbont  tho  large  end.  The  creamy  white  ground  color  was 
replaced  by  white  after  the  blowing  process.  The  female  was  as  follows ;  Length,  Wi ; 
»ton:ach  full,  many  coleoptera  and  one  caterpillar ;  but  little  ash  ou  head.  Male, 
length,  U;  head  and  breast  clear  ash,  without  brownish  tints. 

241.  Geothlypis  Philadelphia.    Mourning  Warbler. 

Couiinoii  suiniu'f  resident  of  dry  scrub  lauds;  breeding  abundantly 
at  Peuibiua  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine). 
Selkirk  Settlement  (1).  Gunn).  Very  abundant  at  Waterben  River 
and  Swan  Lake ;  m!st  taken  June  28, 1881,  in  a  low  bush  of  Gorylns  ros- 
triita,  iihout  4  feet  from  the  ground  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Common 
summer  resident  in  the  wooded  thicket  about  the  spruce  bush  ;  Duck 
Mountain  (Thompson). 

On  June  22,  1883,  while  at  the  spruce  bush,  I  shot  a  couple  of 
Mourning  Warblers.  It  is  quite  common  here.  I  usually  found  this 
merriest  of  mourner  frequenting  dense,  scrubby  undergrowths  on  dry 
land,  a  choice  of  locality,  which  contrasts  greatlj'  witli  that  of  its  near 
kinsman,  the  Maryland  Yellowthroat.  It  is  a  very  difficult  bird  to  get 
sight  of  by  following  it.  On  one  occasion  I  had  been  creeping  and 
crawling  about  in  a  thicket  for  over  an  hour  in  a  vain  attempt  to  se- 
cure one  of  the  many  Mourning  Warblers  that  were  uttering  their 
loud  "  woichy  icoichy  tvoichy  icoichy  woi  eha  cha.^^  Although  I  was  often 
within  20  feet  of  a  specimen  I  failed  to  obtain  sight  of  a  single  one, 
until,  at  last,  tired  of  this  hide  ami  seek  game,  1  sat  down  on  a  log,  re- 
solving that  if  they  would  not  wait  for  mo  to  come  to  them,  I  would  sit 
find  wait  forthem  to  come  to  me.  I  then  sat  perfectly  still  for  a  few  min- 
utes. The  simple  warble  was  defiantly  sounded  in  a  near  thicket  a  few 
times;  then,  as  I  did  not  move,  the  little  bird  suddenly  flitted  up  to  a 
higher  post  of  observation  within  my  view,  and  presently  I  put  it  iu 
my  basket, 


vol. 


.  XIII, -1 
81)0.    J 


181)0 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


623 


242.  Oeothlypis  trichas.    Maryland  Yellowthroat. 

Common  summer  resideut  of  damp  thickets;  Pembina  and  Turtle 
MountainH  (Coues).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine). 
Sboal  Lake:  May  23,  1887,  several  seen,  but  not  in  a  flock  (Christy). 
Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  May  26  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abun- 
dant; summer  resident  (Nash).  At  Waterhen  River:  Breeding;  nest 
not  on  ground,  but  elevated  a  foot  or  two  on  the  land,  subject  to  floods 
(Macoun).  Carberry:  Common  summer  resideut;  Duck  Mountain; 
abundant ;  breeding  (Thompson). 

On  June  28,  1883,  shot  a  Maryland  Yellowthroat.  Its  song  was  like 
'^'■Rappittity  rap  pittity,  rappittUy  rap.''^  The  species  is  very  abundant  in 
the  alder  thickets  along  by  the  small  lakes  and  ponds. 

June  8,  1884,  Duck   Mountain:  Tho  Maryland  Yellowthroat  is  an 
abundant  species  about  here.     Its  favorite  haunts  are  low,  damp  thick- 
ets, so  that  it  is,  in  a  measure,  the  complimentary  species  of  the 
Mourning  Warbler,  which  manifests  a  liking  for  none  but  the  driest  c 
copses. 

Like  the  Mourning  Warble  ,  also,  it  seems  to  take  a  mischiev^Ui:; 
delight  in  ])laying  "Jack  o' Lantern"  to  the  collector,  for  it  will  .^1 
one  for  honis  through  a  maze  of  dank  alders  and  water-willows,  i  aas 
ing,  now  and  then,  to  encourage  its  distressed,  mild-splashed,  bra'  ble- 
scn.cched  follower,  by  calling  loudly  and  plainly  "IK/mf  a  pity,  it,  i  t, 
pity,  whata  pity,  pit,^  ov  again,  when  the  persevering  one  has  happened 
on  some  new  accident,  it  announces  its  whereabouts  in  notes,  which,  by 
a  slight  stretch  of  the  imagination,  may  be  rendered  "  Whafs  the  mat- 
ter, whaVs  the  matter,  tchafs  the  matter,  matJ'^  Often  as  has  happened  with 
myself  the  ardent  collector  will,  at  length,  lind  that,  after  all  his  trou- 
ble, this  black-masked  "  Will  o'  the  wisp"  has  quietly  left  the  neigh- 
borhood when  it  found  the  plot  thickening  too  much  for  its  amusement, 
and  yet,  all  this  time,  perhaps,  it  has  never  once  exposed  itself  to  the 
eyes  of  the  gunner. 

Today,  while  watching  one  of  this  spt  cies,  1  was  surprised  to  see  it 
suddenly  spring  up  about  10  feet  in  th'i  air,  where,  hanging  x>oised, 
with  its  legs  and  tail  dangling  down,  it  uttered  a  prolonged  and  musi- 
cal chant  that  laste<l  for  nearly  half  aminute,  then  dived  into  the  willows 
to  take  up  the  "  whatapity"  notes  where  it  left  ott".  But  for  the  place, 
(the  Upper  Assiniboine,)  and  the  plain  view  1  had  of  tho  diminutive 
bird,  I  should  have  been  sure  that  it  was  the  Yellow-breasted  Chat  that 
had  performed  for  my  benefit,  so  nearly  did  the  actions  and  voice  of  the 
Yellowthroat  resemble  those  accredited  to  the  droll  Icteria.  This  song 
partook  of  the  continuous  and  voluble  character  conimon  to  all  air- 
songs,  and  due,  it  is  supposed,  to  the  vigorous  motion  of  the  wings 
reacting  on  the  pneumatic  system  of  the  bird. 


c 


624 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


243.  S/iVania  pusilla.    Wilsoa's  Warbler.    Black  Capped  Flycatcher. 

Not  coinmou,  chiefly  as  a  migrant.  Wiouiiieg:  Suininer  resicleut; 
soiuewhat  plentiful  in  spring  ami  fall  (Hine).  Near  Long  liiver,  May 
21, 1882,  saw  a  Black  Capped  Warbler  (Thompson.) 

244.  tBylvaiiia  canadensis.    Canadian  Warbler. 

Summer  resident  of  wooded  hillsides;  north  to  Lake  Winnipeg 
(Kidgway).  At  the  head  of  Lake  Winnipegosis,  middle  of  July,  1881 ; 
not  common;  j)robably  breeding  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Kare;  spring 
migrant  (Thompson).  Cumberland  House:  Male,  Jutie  6,  1827;  from 
the  time  of  year  in  which  it  was  seen,  we  have  no  doubt  of  its  breed- 
ing in  that  quarter  (Richardson). 

On  June  3,  1883,  1  observed  a  Canadian  Warbler  in  the  woods  to  the 
eastward.  This  is  my  only  Manitoban  record.  I  append  a  uote  made 
in  Ontario  on  this  species  in  1885. 

Although  this  bird  is  not  rare  and  has  a  wide  breeding  range  in  our 
own  territory,  its  habits  are  not  at  all  well  known.  I  usually  found  it 
frequenting  the  bases  and  northern  slopes  of  thickly  wooded  hillsides 
or  alder  thickets  on  the  adjoi'iing  flats.  Its  song  is  loud  and  striking, 
and  may  be  syllabically  rendered  '•^rupit  che,  rnpit-ehe,  rup-itcMtt-it-Ut.^ 
In  the  springtime  it  is  heard  hourly  about  its  chosen  localities,  but 
after  midsummer  it  is  silent,  having,  I  believe,  uo  fall  song  period. 

245.  Setophaga  ruticilla.    American  Sedstart. 

Common  summer  resident  of  that  woods ;  very  abundant  at  Pem- 
bina; breeds  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine). 
Common  near  Kainy  Lake  May  2C,  and  near  Lake  Wiunipeg  June  6 
(Keunicott).  Shoal  Lake,  May  23, 1887  (Christy).  Portage  la  Prairie : 
Common,  chiefly  in  spring;  summer  resident;  arrives  about  May  IG; 
departs  at  the  end  of  September  (Nash).  Very  abundant  around  Lake 
Manitoba  (Macoun).  Carberry :  Long  Kiver ;  Duck  Mountain  ;  breed- 
ing (Thompson).  Shell  Kiver:  1885,  male,  flrst  seen,  one,  on  May  24; 
next  seen,  Ave,  on  June  2 ;  first,  fi-male.  May  20 ;  next  seen,  three,  on 
June  2 ;  transient  visitant,  going  uorth  (Calcutt).  Cumberland  House: 
Male,  May  20,  1827,  and  June  30,  1830  (Richardson). 

June  8, 1884,  Duck  Mountain :  Found  the  dainty  nest  and  eggs  of  a 
yet  more  dainty  Redstart  in  a  low  fork  of  a  sapling.  The  mother  bird 
seemed  greatly  distressed  when  she  saw  me  approach  her  treasure. 
She  flitted  close  to  my  head,  and  ran,  beseechingly,  on  the  ground  at 
my  feet,  and  '<  chipped  "  most  plaintively.  But  midst  all  her  grief  she 
never  ceased  to  catch  flies  whenever  cue  of  these  tender  morsels  came 
within  reach  of  her  ready  bill. 

Ne-mis-cii  Apothayaliish  *  *  "  It  derives  its  name  from  ne-mis-cfl  (thnndor), 
because  its  uote  is  heard  but  seldom  except  before  thunder,  which  it  therefore  fore- 


Abunc 
tolerably 
River  in 
visitor;  : 
and  rems 
16,  1881 
tain  (Th( 

Octobe 
the  sprin 
attractini 
chepit.'" 
have  of  -^ 
ning  on  tl 
keep  on  \ 
The  motii 
woald  sto 


Com  mo 

west.    Wi 

along  the 

in  great  v 

berry:  Al 

On  Maj/ 

we  used  t< 

May  7, 

knew  to  h 

(identifica 

adult:   Le 

of  which  c 

coleoptera 

vibrissas,  t 

quite  free 

even,  not  ( 

in  an  extrc 

lark,  whoa 

On  May 

(luring  a  3 

May  13. 

On  May 

Pnx 


VOL.  XIII,  1 

1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


625 


tells ;  plentiful  inland  in  snininer,  bat  migrate  southward  in  the  winter ;  but  I  could 
not  learn  any  more  of  its  natural  history,  its  ^ot  being  known  to  the  natives  near 
the  Albany  Fort,  where  this  specimen  was  shot.  (Hatchins,  MSS.,  observations  on 
Hudson  Bay,  1782.) 

246.  Anthus  pensllvanious.    American  Pipit,  or  Titlark. 

Abuudant  spriDg  and  fall  migrant.  Winnipeg :  Transient  visitor ; 
tolerably  common  (Hine).  In  considerable  numbers  along  Mouse 
River  in  September  (Cones).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant;  autumn 
visitor;  I  have  not  noted  it  in  spring;  arrives  about  September  20, 
and  remains  until  tho  end  of  October  (Nash).  At  Pelly:  September 
15,  1881  (Macoun).  Garberry:  Abuudant;  migrant;  Tartle  Moun- 
tain (Thompson). 

October  8, 1884:  Pipits  are  here  in  much  greater  numbers  than  in 
the  spring,  and  are  bustling  about  in  the  barnyards  and  pastures,  first 
attracting  notice  by  their  untiring  repetitions  of  the  note  '^chepit^ 
chepitP  Then,  holding  the  attention  by  the  remarkable  habit  they 
have  of  wagging  the  tail  unceasingly,  whether  flying,  perching,  or  run- 
ning on  the  ground ;  thej'  seem  to  be  under  some  awful  obligation  to 
keep  on  wagging,  not  their  tails  only,  but  the  whole  of  the  latter  end. 
The  motion  is  absurdly  excessive,  and  the  birds  look  as  though  they 
would  stop  it  if  they  could. 


247.  Anthus  spragueil.     Spragne's  Pipit.    Missouri  Skylark. 

Common  summer  resident  of  the  elevated  prairies  of  the  south  and 
west.  Winnipeg:  Rare  (Hine).  From  Pembina  Mountain  westward 
along  the  boundary  to  the  second  crossing  of  the  Mouse  Biver;  breeding 
in  great  numbers ;  Turtle  Mountains,  Mouse  River,  etc.  (Coues).  Car- 
berry:  Abundant;  summer  resident  (Thompson). 

On  May  7,  ^883, 1  noticed  the  Missouri  Skylark,  or  Sky  Jingler  as 
we  used  to  cail  it. 

May  7, 1884:  Have  at  last  succeeded  in  collecting  t;  skylark  that  I 
kaew  to  have  been  singing  aloft.  It  appears  to  be  Anthus  spragueii 
(identification  subsequently  indorsed  by  Dr.  0.  Hart  Merriam).  Male 
adult:  Length,  6|;  weight,  3^;  tail,  2^;  beak,  |;  toes,  |;  hind  toe,  |, 
of  which  claw  is  about  half;  toes  reach  beyond  the  tail ;  stomach  full  of 
coleoptera.  It  differs  from  Baird's  description  as  follows:  It  has 
vibrissaa,  the  outer  tail  feathers  not  entirely  white ;  the  outer  toe  not 
quite  free;  first  primary  not  longest,  but  second  and  third  are;  tail 
even,  not  emarginate ;  legs  and  bill  not  yellow,  but  flesh-colored.  It 
is  an  extremely  shy  bird,  and  for  long  I  confounded  it  with  the  shore- 
lark,  whose  song  and  habits  op  i;he  wing  are  so  similar. 

On  May  10, 1  counted  twe  ve  skylarks  singing  far  up  in  the  sky, 
during  a  3-milo  walk  in  the  '  '  ''rning. 

May  13.    Skylarks  very  t     "erous  now,  and  in  full  song. 

On  May  14,  I  watched      skylark  that  was  singing  on  high  with 
Proc.  N.  M.  90 40 


ill 


I  111 


i! 


626 


THE   BIRDS   OF   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


great  devotion;  he  had  trilled  his  refrain  from  beginning  to  end  a 
If  ast  twenty  times  when  it  occurred  to  me  to  time  and  coant  his  songs. 
The  whole  of  each  trilling  occnpied  15  seconds,  and  after  I  began  to 
count  ho  repeated  it  from  beginning  to  end  eighty-two  times ;  just  as  he 
should  have  entered  on  the  eighty-third,  his  wings  closed,  his  tail  went 
up,  and  down  be  fell  headlong ;  but  my  eyes  were  blinded  with  the  bright- 
ness, and  my  neck  refused  to  take  part  in  further  proceedings,  so  that  I 
was  not  able  to  mark  the  bird  for  closer  examination.  This  singer  had 
serenaded  me  for  about  an  hour,  and  I  do  not  think  he  ranked  above 
his  fellows  in  staying  power. 

On  May  19  collected  a  skylark  that  sang  its  song  only  twenty  times 
before  it  dashed  down  to  earth.  Saw  another  singing  on  the  ground ; 
this  is  the  only  case  of  the  kind  I  have  observed.  It  is  one  of  the  com- 
monest of  prairie  birds  in  western  Manitoba.  Its  loud  ventriloqual 
voice  is  heard  from  the  clouds  on  all  hands  when  it  is  in  full  soDg. 
This  song  was  for  long  a  riddle  past  my  solving.  I  felt  sure  of  its  be- 
ing the  utterance  of  some  bird  on  the  prairie,  but  where,  I  could  not 
tell  nor  trace;  wherever  I  went,  it  seemed  to  be  just  a  little  further 
ahead,  or  to  one  side  or  another,  or  suddenly  behind.  Throughout  the 
whole  season  of  1882  I  was  thus  duped,  and  it  was  by  chance  that  at 
last  I  fuund  the  singer  to  be  away  up  in  the  sky,  but  so  high  that  as 
it  was  a  bright  day  it  was  impossible  to  follow  with  the  eye  the  tiny 
speck  whose  music  was  shaking  the  air  for  thousands  of  feet  around. 
The  song  is  sweet  and  far-reaching,  and  both  Audubon  (the  discoverer) 
and  Dr.  Goues  (the  further  elucidator)  have  given  most  enthusiastic 
descriptions  of  its  moving  power  and  melody.  When  the  skylark  feels 
the  impulse  to  sing,  he  rises  from  the  bare  prairie  ridge  with  a  peculiar 
bounding  flight,  like  that  of  the  pipit;  up,  in  silence,  higher  and  higher 
he  goes,  up,  up,  100,  200,  300,  500  feet;  then,  feeling  his  spirits  corre- 
spondingly elevated,  he  spreads  his  wings  and  tail  and  pours  forth  the 
strains  that  are  making  him  famous.  The  song  at  the  beginning  is 
much  like  that  of  the  English  Skylark,  and  the  notes  are  uttered  de- 
liberately but  continuously,  and  soon  increase  in  rapidity  and  force, 
till  in  a  few  seconds  the  climax  is  reached,  after  which  they  fade  away 
in  a  veery-like  strain,  and  then  suddenly  stop.  While  this  was  being 
sung  the  bird  had  floated  downwards,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  finished  he 
proceeds,  by  the  bounding  flight,  to  regain  his  elevation  and  once  more 
pour  out  his  silvery  strains. 

Several  times  after  a  skylark  had  sung  and  returnisd  to  earth,  with 
the  headlong  descent  already  described,  I  purposely  flushed  him,  and 
at  once  he  rose  without  further  preamble,  soberly  remounted  his  imagi- 
nary 500-foot  platform,  and  again  sang  his  serenade  from  beginning  to 
end.  Thus  on  one  occasion  I  called  the  same  bird  three  times  "  before 
the  curtain ; "  to  the  fourth  enooref  however,  he  would  not  respond,  and 
each  subsequent  t.me  that  he  was  disturbed  he  would  fly  off  some  200 
yards  and  again  settle  on  the  prairie.  Once  only  have  I  observed  this 
species  singing  his  full  song  on  the  ground. 


m 

lr:i.i 


VOL.  XIII,  T 
D.     J 


1880. 


FBOCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


627 


248.    Oaleosooptes  carollnenBis.    Catbird. 

Abundant  sammer  resident  of  low  thickets.  Oommon  in  Bed  River 
region  and  westward  along  the  boundary  to  Turtle  Mountains ;  breed- 
ing (Coues).  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident ;  abundant  (Hiue).  iNorth 
to  Lake  Winnipeg  (Bidgway).  Ossowo :  Oommon  ;  breeding ;  1885, 
first  seen,  one,  on  May  26 ;  next  seen,  May  27  (Wagner).  Oak  Point: 
1884,  arrived  April  30  (?) ;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  14 ;  next  seen, 
one,  on  15th ;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie: 
Oommon ;  summer  resident ;  arrives  about  May  22 ;  departs  about  Sep- 
tember 15  (Nash).  Oarberry:  Abundant;  summer  resident ;  breediug; 
all  thickets  from  Oarberry  to  Birtle  and  north  to  Dark  Mountain  abun- 
dant; breeding;  Long  Biver  (Thompson).  Two  Bivers:  1885,  first 
seen,  one,  on  May  25 ;  next  seen,  one,  on  May  26 ;  fairly  common 
(Oriddle).  Oommon  throughout  the  wooded  country  in  the  Northwest 
(Macoun).  Shell  Biver:  1885,  first  seen,  one,  male,  on  May  18;  next 
seen,  four,  on  May  24 ;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Oal- 
cutt).  Qu'Appelle :  Oommon  summer  resident ;  breeds ;  arrives  about 
May  15  (Guernsey). 

On  June  22, 1882,  I  took  the  four  eggs  from  the  catbird  nest  found 
Jane  18 ;  one  measured  H  ^J  H  ^nd  is  of  a  deep  blue-green ;  the 
others  are  similar.  The  nest  was  made  entirely  of  sticks  and  black 
fibrous  roots,  and  was  placed  in  the  densest  part  of  a  willow  thicket, 
thus  giving  us  a  pair  of  sooty  birds  building  in  a  gloomy  thicket  a 
black  nest  to  contain  the  brightest  blue-green  eggs  that  ever  were 
laid ! 

The  month  of  June,  1884,  was  spent  in  traveling  with  my  brother, 
"per  cart,"  in  the  country  between  Oarberry  and  Oot^'s  Beserve,  near 
Fort  Pelly.  Throughout  the  whole  of  this  region  the  catbird  is  an 
abundant  species,  and  I  had  ample  opportunities  for  studying  the  song 
of  this  bird,  for  it  seemed  at  much  pains  to  render  itself  the  most  con- 
spicuous of  the  feathered  population,  while  at  the  same  time  it  strove 
with  equal  diligence  to  remain  unseen.  Each  night  we  slept  in  some 
thicket  of  willows,  and  each  morning  we  were  awakened  by  an  inces- 
sant scolding  from  a  vituperative  catbird,  who  continued  to  skulk 
about  and  mew  and  squeal,  until  at  length  the  evident  miscarriage  of 
his  purpose  to  remain  unseen  warned  him  that  his  wisest  course  en- 
tailed a  speedy  departure. 

249.  Harporhynchus  rufas.    Brown  Thrasher,  or  Thrush. 

Oommon  summer  resideut  of  dry,  partly  open  country.  Pembina: 
Nesting  (Oones).  Winnipeg :  Summer  resident ;  tolerably  oommon 
(Hine).  On  the  flank  of  the  Big  Bidge,  the  Oinnamon  Thrush  {Turdus 
rufus)  was  noticed  (Hine).  Lake  Winnipeg  (Ridgway).  Bed  Biver 
Valley  :  Summer  resident ;  tolerably  common  (Hunter).  Oak  Point : 
1884 ;  arrived  May  21  (Small).    Tolerably  common  summer  resident 


628 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


near  Portage  la  Prairie ;  abundant  near  Winnipeg ;  arrives  about  the 
middle  of  May,  departs  late  in  September  (Nash).  On  tbe  Portage 
la  Prairie  trail,  east  of  Fairview  ''  Tbe  Cinnamon  Thrush  is  not  un- 
common among  the  sandy  hills;  we  saw  several  during  the  day" 
(Hind,  1858). 

Garberry:  Common  summer  resident ;  breeding;  LongBiver;  Shoal 
Lake,  west  (Thompson).  At  Swan  River;  not  common  (Macoun). 
Shell  Biver:  1885,  first  seen,  one  male,  on  May  23;  next  seen,  two,  on 
May  25 ;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here  (Calcutt). 


250.  Troglodjrtes  aedon  azteous.    Western  House  Wren.    Common  Wren. 

Abundant  summer  resident  in  partly  wood  localities.  Breeding  very 
abundantly  at  Pembina  in  June ;  taken  at  Mouse  Biver  in  September 
(Coues).  Winnepeg:  Summer  resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Os- 
sowo:  Common  breeding;  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on  May  18;  next  seen, 
May  19 ;  became  common,  May  20  (Wagner).  Oak  Point :  1884,  arrived 
May  17;  1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  17;  next  seen,  one,  on  May  IS; 
is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common  sum- 
mer resident ;  arrives  about  May  21 ;  departs  early  in  September  (Nasb). 
Carberry:  Abundant  summer  resident;  breeding;  Duck  Mountain  breed- 
ing (Thompson).  Manitoba  House,  June :  Breeding;  also  at  Waterhen 
Biver ;  frequent  (Macoun).  Shell  Biver :  1885,  first  seen,  a  pair,  on  May 
17 ;  afterward  seen  every  day ;  is  common  all  summer,  and  breeds  here 
(Calcutt).  Qu'Appelle :  Common  summer  resident;  breeds ;  arrives  May 
12  (Guernsey). 

On  July  0, 1884,  I  found  a  nest  of  young  wrens  over  a  window  of  the 
ferry  house  on  the  Assiniboine.  The  old  ones  were  laboring  so  inces- 
santly to  furnish  them  with  food  that  I  timed  their  journeys  to  ascertain 
the  amount  of  attention  required  by  the  nestlings.  The  parents  re- 
turned ten  times  in  fifteen  minutes,  sometimes  bringing  only  one  insect, 
but  usually  with  their  bill  full  of  them.  Twice  during  that  time  they 
carried  out  dung  in  their  bills,  dropping  it  some  20  yards  from  the  nest. 
At  thin  rate  the  old  ones  would  make  not  less  than  five  hundred  journeys 
each  day.  The  time  of  observation  was  6  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Mr. 
Kennicott  ascertained  that  a  pair  of  wrens  carried  to  their  young  about 
one  thousand  insects  in  a  single  day ;  but  this  is  perhaps  below  tbe 
mark,  for  the  pair  I  have  just  mentioned  often  brought  three  or  four 
insects  at  a  time. 

It  is  probable  that  two  broods  each  season  are  raised  by  this  species 
in  Manitoba. 

It  will  be  seen  that  although  this  bird  usually  nests  in  a  hollow 
stump,  it  is  cot  averse  to  a  difi'erent  situation,  provided  only  that  it 
be  a  hole,  and  deep  enough  and  narrow  enough  to  exclude  any  but  th<> 
owner.  If  the  hole  chance  to  be  in  the  least  a  loose  fit,  his  first  care  is 
to  blockade  the  doorway  with  the  largest  twigs  he  can  carry  until  he 
has  reduced  i'^  to  his  own  idea  of  snugmvss ;  and  I  learned  to  accept  it 


VOL.  xin,n 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF  THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


629 


mmou  Wren. 


f  this  species 


as  the  infallible  doorplate  of  a  wren's  homestead  when  a  bundle  of 
twigs  was  seen  projecting  from  a  cranny  in  some  decrepit-looking  stump, 
a  hollow  rail,  or  a  knot  hole  in  an  outhouse. 

On  one  occasion  I  was  told  that  a  wren  had  built  ils  nest  in  the  pocket  of  a  coat 
bang  oil  the  door  of  a  ferrj'man'a  house  on  the  Souris  Btver.    (Christy.) 

My  records  of  the  nesting  of  this  bird  show  that  it  is  rather  a  late  breeder  here. 
In  1884  they  are  as  follows :  July  19,  nest  containing  young  well  fledged;  July  21, 
found  nest  containing  youug  half  fledged ;  August  6,  another  nest  containing  young 
nearly  fledged.  These  nests  ware  all  built  just  under  the  toii  of  the  river  bank. 
(Nash,  iuMSS.) 

251.  Troglodytes  hiemalis.     Winter  Wren. 

Summer  resident  in  the  thick  woods  to  the  eastward.  Is  common  in 
the  wood  country  east  of  Winnipeg  during  the  summer  months  (R.  H. 
Hunter).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Rare  visitor;  on  May  16,  1885,  I  be- 
lieve I  saw  this  species  in  the  woods  near  here ;  th»  bird  was  feeding 
on  the  ground,  but  when  it  saw  me  it  disappeared  in  a  large  pile  of 
old  logs  and  brush,  out  of  which  my  dogs  could  not  drive  it ;  on  Octo- 
ber 29, 1886,  I  identified  it  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Red  River,  about 
5  miles  south  of  Winnipeg  (Nash). 

292.  CiBtothorua  Btellarls.    Short-billed  Marsh  Wren. 

Summer  resident  of  erratic  distribution  found  in  sloughs.  Rather 
plentiful  at  Pembina;  undoubtedly  breeding  (Cones).  Winnipeg:  Sum- 
mer resident;  rare  (Hine).  Red  River  Valley :  Summer  resident ;  rare 
(Hunter).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Rare;  I  have  only  taken  it  twice,  Octo- 
ber 3, 1884,  near  here,  and  October  7,  1886,  about  7  miles  south  of 
Winnipeg  (Nash).  Carberry,  south  slope  of  Riding  Mountain,  north 
to  near  Cote's,  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  grassy  (not  the  rushy) 
sloughs  (Thompson).  Qu'Appelle :  Common  summer  resident ;  breeds ; 
arrives  May  15  (Guernsey). 

Soon  after  the  1st  of  May  every  little  sedgy  pool  and  slough  in  the 
Assiniboine  Valley,  from  Carberry  to  Pelly,  is  vocal  with  the  merry 
chatter  of  this  bird. 

Its  ordinary  note  is  like  two  stones  being  struck  together  about  a 
dozen  times  in  succession  ;  the  first  strokes  with  a  slight  pause  between 
those  following,  with  rapidly  reduced  interval  until  the  last  are  all  run 
into  each  other.  It  may  be  suggested  by  the  following  syllables: 
"  Chap —  chap —  chap-  chap,  ohapj  chap,  chap  p  ppr-rr.'" 

About  the  6th  or  7th  of  May  it  begins  to  sing  a  simple  song,  which 
naturally  divides  itself  into  three  parts  or  bars  :  First,  the  '*  chapper- 
ing"  already  described  ;  second,  in  close  connection  a  rather  musical 
retrain  of  equal  length,  somewhat  like  the  first  half  of  the  baywing*s 
sunset  song,  but  without  its  richness  and  with  less  of  its  power;  and 
third,  the  "cliappcring"  again  from  iH^ginning  to  end.  These  call 
notes  and  songs  may  be  heard  on  all  sides  for  some  time  before  a  single 


630 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


wren  is  espied,  for  they  creep  aad  scramble  about  like  mice  in  the 
tangled  herbage  along  the  sloughs.  Many  a  time  I  have  marked  one 
as  it  entered  a  small  tussock  and  then,  expecting  to  flush  it,  I  have 
goDS  over  and  kicked  the  tussock  in  vain  ;  the  bird  had  slipped  out  at 
the  other  side,  and  was  probably  watching  me  from  behiud  a  rashroot 
a  yard  or  two  removed. 

When  siuging,  it  is  usually  seen  clinging  to  the  side  of  some  tall 
swinging  reed,  with  its  tail  bent  back  so  as  to  almost  touch  its  head, 
thus  exhibiting  in  a  most  exaggerated  manner  a  characteristic  attitude 
of  all  the  wrens. 

The  nest  is  a  globular  structure,  and  judging  by  the  one  or  two 
cases  that  I  have  observed  is  generally  placed  in  a  grass  tuft.  If 
there  is  any  difference,  I  think  the  Short-billed  selects  a  dryer  situation 
for  his  home  than  the  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren. 

253.  Ciatothorua  palustrls.    Long-billed  Marsh  Wren. 

Summer  resident  of  marshes.  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  toler- 
ably common  (Hine).  Have  noticed  it  from  Selkirk  to  the  Souris,  par- 
ticularly at  Shoal  Lake,  north  of  Winnipeg,  where  they  appear  to  be 
very  common  (Hunter).  Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived  May  15  (Small). 
Portage  la  Prairie :  1884,  common  summer  resident  (Nash).  Abundant; 
breeding ;  at  Winnipeg ;  at  Waterhen  River  (Macoun).  Never  found  at 
Carberry,  or  in  aay  part  of  the  Upper  Assiniboine,  so  far  as  I  know 
(Thompson). 

294.  Certhia  familiarlB  amerioana.     Brown  Creeper. 

Very  rare;  summer  resident  of  woodlands.  North  to  Red  River 
Settlement  (Ridgway).    Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  rare  (Hine). 


255.  Sltta  carolinensis  aouleata.    Slender-billed  Nuthatch. 

Somewhat  rare;  summer  resident  of  woodlands;  its  distribution 
seems  to  be  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  oak  [Q.  nincrocarpa).  Win 
nipeg:  Summer  resident;  rare  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common; 
chiefly  in  spring  and  fall  (Nash).  Carberry:  Summei*  R'sident  (W.  {\. 
A.  Brodie).  Rare  in  the  spruce  bush  south  of  Carberry  ;  seen  in  fall 
chiefly;  Rat  Portage  in  fall  (Thompson).  Was  not  an  abundant  species, 
but  I  brought  home  one  specimen  taken  at  Carberry  in  summer,  1883 
(Christy). 

On  October  24,  1884,  I  was  guided  in  the  woods  to  a  nuthatch  by 
the  sound  of  his  hammering,  which  was  so  loud  that  I  attributed  it  to 
the  Hairy  Woodpecker.  1  watched  for  a  tew  seconds  and  found  that 
he  was  busied  "hatching'^  a  hazli'nut,  which  he  had  fixed  in  a  crevice 
of  the  bark.  Then  I  came  neiM-,  whereupon  the  bird,  fearing  I  shoultl 
become  troublesome,  endeavored  to  take  his  nut  and  go  elsewhere,  but 


VOL.  XIII.T 
1890.     J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


631 


it  was  so  firmly  fixed  in  the  bark  of  the  tree  that  I  was  within  a  few 
feet  of  him  before  it  was  extricated,  and  he  flew  off  with  it  in  his  beak. 

Common  iu  spring  and  autumn  near  Portage  la  Prairie,  appearing  in  the  spring  in 
large  flocks  about  the  end  of  April ;  ia  the  autumn  the  broods  come  straggling  back 
and  disappear  as  soon  as  cold  weather  sets  in;  these  are  in  all  probability  S.  carolinen- 
eia  acttleata. 

On  the  13th  of  December,  1884,  and  from  then  to  the  20th,  in  the  Riding  Mountains 
I  saw  White-bellied  Nuthatches  every  day ;  the  weather  was  intensly  cold,  nearly  40" 
below  zero  ;  these  were  probably  the  typical  form. 

I  did  uot  see  a  single  White-bellied  Nuthatch  of  either  variety  iu  1886  near  Winni- 
peg.    (Nash,inMSS.) 

I  can  not  concur  that  both  forms  of  Sitta  caroUnensis  are  found  in  Man- 
itoba ;  all  that  I  have  seen  are  nearer  to  aculeata  than  to  the  typical 
subspecies.— (E.  E.  T.) 

256.  Sitta  canadensis.    Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 

Very  rare  summer  resident.  Red  Eiver  Settlement  (D.  Gunn). 
North  lo  Lake  Winnipeg  (Ridgway).  Winnipeg:  Rare;  summer  resi- 
dent (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Rare  (Nash).  Carberry :  Once  seen 
in  May!  (Thompson).  In  company  with  Black-cap  Tit  and  Regulus  on 
two  occasions  on  the  26th  of  September,  1857,  not  far  west  of  Lake 
Winnipeg,  on  the  Lower  Saskatchewan,  a  specimen  preserved  (Blakis- 
ton). 

Mochio  a  nak  a  sish.  This  bird  is  a  species  of  the  titmonso  genus ;  seldom  visits 
the  seacoasts,  but  are  very  plenty  about  :<UU  miles  inland  in  Huniniur,  where  it  breeds, 
making  an  elegant  nest  in  a  tree,  lays  five  to  ten  eggs;  feeds  on  berries  and  insects 
from  the  tree;  at  the  approach  of  winter  it  retreats  to  a  more  hospitable  climate, 
which  is  contrary  to  the  otli<;i  titmouse,  who  are  most  numerous  about  the  settle- 
ments in  a  severe  cold  winter.  (Hutchius,  MSS.,  Observations  on  Hudson's  Bay, 
l78-i.) 

Tlie  flrst  I  saw  flew  into  my  house  at  Fort  Rouge,  near  Winnipeg,  about  the  15tli  of 
August,  188(> ;  some  few  days  afterwards  I  saw  one  in  the  woods  near  the  Red  River, 
and  on  the  1st  of  September  nuothir  bird  came  into  my  house  and  amused  itsi  if  for 
some  time  by  catching  tlies  aiioiit  tlio  walls,  regardless  of  the  presence  of  my  family. 
September  21)  I  saw  another  iu  the  woods  above  mentioned,  aud  on  tlie  30th  I  saw 
a  party  ol  three  near  the  river;  <>f  these  I  shot  one,  and  so  tame  were  they  that  the 
others  d'd  not  lly  or  sliow  the  least  alarm  at  the  report  of  the  gun.  Shortly  after 
this  I  saw  another  single  one,  the  last  of  the  season.  None  were  ever  seen  by  me 
near  Portage  In  I'rairie,  or  iu  fact  auy  where  but  iu  the  woods  on  the  Red  River,  aa 
before  montiuuod.    (Naah,  iu  MSS.) 


2S7.  Parus  atrioapiUns  septentrionalls.    Long-tailed  Chickadee. 

Resident;  abundant  in  wooded  sections.  The  Manitoba  bird  is  not 
strictly  »eptmtrionaiiH,  but  is  nearer  to  that  form  than  to  atricapillm. 
Winnipeg:  Resident;  tolerably  common  (Iline).  Lake  Winnipeg 
(Konnicott).  Winnipeg  Kiver:  A  female,  that  was  about  to  lay  her  p^» 
(B.  IlosH).  OsHowa:  Common  resident  (Wagner).  Portage  la  Prairie : 
Besideut,  I  believe;  but  although  they  are  abundant  during  autumn, 


;:l 


632 


THE   BIRDS   OF  MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


winter,  and  spring,  yet  they  disappear  .aysteriously  during  the  sammer 
months ;  I  saw  them  in  December,  in  the  Biding  Mountains  (Nash). 
Garberry :  Common  resident  in  the  woods  to  the  soath  and  east :  Bat 
Portage,  abundant  in  fall  (Thompson).  Very  common  in  Northwest 
Territory,  along  our  route  (Macoun).  Shell  Bi  ver :  1885,  winter  visitor 
(Galcutt.)  Qu'Appelle :  Common  permanent  resident ;  breeds  (Guern- 
sey). 

258.  FsiTUS  hudsonicuB..    Hadsonian  Chiokadec. 

Found  only  in  the  north  and  east  among  the  great  coniferous  forests. 
Permanent  resident ;  common  in  the  coniferous  woods  in  the  northern 
and  eastern  parts  of  Bed  Kiver  Valley  (Hunter).  In  flocks  around  the 
Porcupine  Mountains  (Macoun).  Seen  and  examined  between  Hudson 
Bay  and  Lake  Winnipeg  (on  the  Nelson  Biver) ;  did  not  find  it  be- 
tween Norway  House  and  Fort  Carleton  after  leaving  the  thickly 
wooded  country  to  the  east  of  Lake  Winnipeg. 

259.  Regulus  satrapa.    Golden-crowned  Kinglet  or  Wren. 

Very  rare  migrant ;  probably  breeds.  Winnipeg  :  Summer  resident ; 
rare;  possibly  breeding  (Hiue).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Very  rare  mi- 
grant ;  October,  19,  1886, 1  saw  a  flock  of  about  fifteen  near  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Assiniboine  with  the  Bed  Biver ;  they  were  very  tame ;  these 
are  all  I  ever  saw  in  Manitoba  (Nash).  Garberry  :  November  5,  1884. 
While  hunting  in  the  sand  hills  to  the  south,  to  day,  I  came  across 
a  flock  of  four  Golden-crested  Wreas ;  they  were  clambering  about 
the  tops  of  some  low  spruce  trees,  and  uttering  thei*"  peculiar  "  streep, 
streep;^^  this  was  nearly  three  weeks  after  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow ;  this  was  the  only  occasion  in  which  I  met  with  the  species 
in  the  province  (Thompson). 


260.  ReguluB  calendula.    Kuby-crowned  Kinglet. 

Tolerably  common  migrant.  Mouse  Biver  in  September  ^Coues).  Duf- 
erin :  Arrived  between  April  15  and  20  (Dawson).  Winnipeg :  Summer 
resident;  tolerably  common  (Hine).  Portage  la  Prairie :  Common  spring 
and  autumn  visitor;  arrives  about  April  20,  reappears  about  the  middle 
of  September,  and  departs  at  the  end  of  the  month ;  the  Buby-crown 
has  a  very  pretty  song;  in  spring  its  volume  is  astonishing,  when  one 
considers  the  little  body  that  produces  it  (Nash).  Garberry :  Common 
in  si)riug  migration  (Thompson).  Occasionally  observed  (between  Nor- 
u  ly  House  and  Fort  Carleton  in  autumn);  specimens  closely  examined; 
g  tMi  cr .!.>'•  not  seen  (Blakiston). 

On  ^iiiV  1'-^)  ^883,  whilehunting  along  by  the  slough,  I  heard  a  loud- 
voiced  WHrbl^r  singing  a  son/r  like  pie piee  piee  hecppiche  heeppiche 
}^.t%  ji  :M  '  ep  pi-f'he  hnpm  »e  keep  pichr  heeppi  che.^^  It  began  very 
S«*ft3,,  bCt  nrouii'iig  out  as  loud  and  strong  as  a  Canary.    1  managed 


VOL.  XIII.T 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONA.L   MUSEUM. 


635 


to  shoot  one,  and  was  surprised  to  find  it  a  Ruby-crowned  Wren,  for 
the  volume  of  sound  would  have  done  credit  to  a  much  larger  bird. 

In  its  habits,  as  well  as  its  food,  this  species  closely  resembles  many 
of  the  wood  warblerr  so  that  it  is  difi&cnit  of  identification  when  among^ 
the  branches ;  but  its  peculiar  nimbleness  and  its  trick  of  playing  and 
dashing  after  insects  among  the  topmost  twigs,  together  with  its  chick- 
a-dee-like  manner  of  climuing  about,  will  often  cause  its  identity  to  be 
suspected,  if  these  ways  do  not  entirely  distinguish  it  from  the  Muio- 
tiltidse. 

261.  TurduB  fusoesoens.    Wilson's  Thrash.    Veery. 

Abundant  summer  resident  of  thickets.  Observed  only  in  vicinity 
of  Pembina;  breeding  in  abundance  during  June  (Coues).  Bed  River 
Valley :  Summer  resident ;  tolerably  common  (Hunter).  Selkirk  and 
Red  River  (Guun).  Shoal  Lake :  May  20, 1887,  seems  to  arrive  on  this  • 
date  (Christy).  Oak  Point :  1884,  arrived  May  17 ;  1885,  first  seen,  one, 
on  May  3 ;  next  seen  on  May  5 ;  is  common  and  breeds  here  (Small). 
Portage  la  Prairie:  Abundant  summer  resident;  arrives  April  23, 
departs  at  the  end  of  September  (Nash).  Lake  Manitoba  and  west- 
ward, nest  found  on  the  ground  (Macoun).  Carberry :  Abundant  sum- 
mer resident;  breeding;  noted  in  all  the  willow  thickets  from  Carberry 
along  the  south  slope  of  the  Riding  Mountain,  and  north  to  Cote's 
Reservation  (Thompson).  Qu'Appelle:  Tolerably  common  summer 
resident;  arrives  about  May  20  (Guernsey). 

Oil  June  18, 1882,  I  heard  again  and  again,  the  first  time  for  the  sea- 
son, a  song  that  has  been  familiar  for  years.  I  had  always  attributed 
it  to  a  thrush,  but  now  was  able  to  identify  the  bird  more  (Exactly  as 
the  Tawny  Thrush,  or  Veery.  The  song  is  a  bi^hpitched  whistle,  yet 
rich  and  clear,  with  a  rippling  cadence  like  a  little  brook.  It  seems 
almost  profane  to  represent  this  soft  silvery  tin'  ling  by  adopting 
uncouth  syllables,  yet  I  think  the  best  idea  of  the  mere  articulation 
may  be  suggested  by  the  syllables  "  Feery,  reery,  vee^y,  veery,''''  from 
which,  no  doubt,  the  singer  got  his  name. 

261a.  Turdus  fusoescena  salloioolui.    Willow  Thrnsb. 

Taken  on  the  Souris  at  the  boundary,  in  the  fall  migration,  Se]  m- 
ber  16,  by  Dr.  Coues.    Recorded  as  TurdiM  Htrainsoni. 

262.  Turdus  aliclsB.    Oray-chceketl  Thrush. 

Migrant.  Cjmmon  migrant  at  Winnipeg  (Hiue).  Migrant  at  Car* 
berry  (Thompson). 

263.  Turduii  uitulatua  awaluaonl.    Olive-backed  Thrnih. 

Tolerably  common  summer  rt^sident.  1  urn  disposed  to  (luestic^  all 
these  records,  as  this  bird  is  generally  confounded  witli  2'.  alieiw  (1  K. 
T).    Winnipeg:    Summer  resident  (Uiue).    Portage  la  Prairie :    Rare; 


634 


THE    BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


aummer  resident ;  commoa  iu  spriug  aud  autumn ;  arrives  about  April 
27,  re-appearing  about  September  15 ;  departs  early  in  October  (Nash). 
Swan  Biver  and  Moose  Mountain :  Breeding  in  rose  thickets  a  few  feet 
from  the  ground  and  in  cornel  bushes;  eggs  spotted  (Macoun).  Gar- 
berry:  Summer  resident;  not  very  common;  apparently  breeding; 
Long  Biver;  Duck  Mountain?  (Thompson).  Shell  Biver:  1885,  first 
seen,  a  pair,  on  April  30 ;  is  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here 
(Calcutt). 

264.  Turdus  aonalaschkee  pallasii.    Hermit  Thrush. 

Common  summer  resident  of  woodlands.  Winnipeg :  Summer  resi- 
dent; abundant  (Hine).  I  have  noticed  them  at  Kildonan,  Selkirk, 
Brandon,  aud  Fort  Qu'Appelle  ;  at  the  latter  x^lace  they  were  nesting 
first  week  in  June  (Hunter).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Common  summer 
resident;  airives  about  May  1;  departs  early  iu  October  (Nash).  Lake 
Manitoba  and  west  to  Fort  Pelly  ?  (Macoun).  South  slope  of  Biding 
Mountain  on  Little  Saskatchewan,  August  28,  1858  (Hind).  Shell 
Hiver:  First  seen,  two  males,  on  April  18 ;  a  transient  visitor,  passing 
north  aud  not  remaining  any  time  (Calcutt;.  Observed  at  Cumberland 
House  ou  the  4th  of  October ;  I  saw  it  several  times,  but  had  no  gun 
(Blakiston). 

265.  Merula  migratoria.    American  Robin. 

Common  summer  resident  in  half  open  woods,  etc. ;  breeding.  In 
abui!idauue  at  P«'mbiua;  breeding;  iu  Septem'  -^r,  large  numbers  along 
Mouse  River  (Coues).  Dufferiu :  Arrived  iu  1874  between  April  15 
aud  20  (Dawson).  Winnipeg:  Summer  resident;  abundant  (Hine). 
Bed  Biver  Settlement,  fourth  week  of  April  (Blakiston).  Swamp 
Island :  1885,  first  seen,  about  thirty,  on  April  27,  after  which  it  was 
common,  apd  it  breeds  here;  in  fall,  last  seen  October  7;  188G,  first  seen, 
ten,  ou  April  18;  bulk  .  rrived  next  day  (Plunkett).  Ossowa:  Com- 
mon; breeding;  1885,  first  seen,  five,  on  April  18;  next  seen,  April  20; 
be  ame  common  April  25;  last  seen,  one,  on  October  20  (Wagner). 
Oak  Point:  1884,  arrived,  April  10;  1885,  first  seen,  two,  ou  April  8; 
next  seen,  April  9 ;  allerwards  common ;  breeds  (Small).  Portage  la 
Prairie:  Common;  summer  resident;  arrives  in  April;  my  earliest 
spring  record  is  April  3,  1885,  when  I  saw  a  small  flock  ;  the  latest  is 
April  20,  the  bulk  having  then  arrived ;  they  frequently  remain  until 
after  snow  has  fallen,  feeding  on  the  wild  grapes  and  high-bush  cran- 
berries.. The  latest  date  I  have  is  November  3,  when  I  saw  a  large 
flock;  the  ground  was  then  covered  with  snow  (Nash).  Abuudant 
everywhere  throughout  the  Northwest  (Macoun).  Carberry:  Very 
abuudant  in  spring  migration;  commou  summer  resident;  breeding 
(Thompson).  Two  Rivers :  April  17,  1884;  1885;  first  seen,  several, 
on  Apiil  10;  next  seen,  April  17;  became  common  April  20;  is  pretty 
common  and  breeds  here  (Criddle).  Dultoir  1889,  first  seen,  two,  on 
April  12;  became  commou  on  April  13 ;  breeds  here  (Youmans).    Bran- 


VOL.  XIII.l 
1800.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


635 


don,  April  20,  1882  (';V^ood).  Shell  River:  1885,  first  seen,  two,  on 
April  13;  next  seen,  thirteen,  on  April  17;  became  comnion  on  April 
24;  male  and  female  in  flock;  common  all  summer  and  breeds  here 
(Calcutt).  Qu'Appelln  :  Common  summer  resident;  flocks  of  four  or 
five  about  April  12  (Guernsey).  Severn  House,  Trout  Lake  Station: 
The  color  is  unusually  bright  in  the  specimens  received  (Murray). 

On  April  28, 1882,  drove  to  the  spruce  brush ;  the  country  seems  flooded 
with  robins;  the  last  mile  of  prairie,  just  before  entering  on  the  wooded 
and  sane'  hill  region,  was  covered  with  an  immense  straggling  flock. 
They  were  to  be  seen  chiefly  on  the  ground  or  making  short  flights. 
The  general  movement  of  the  flock  was  northward.  There  must  have 
been  several  thousands  of  birds  in  it. 

On  July  11, 1883,  among  the  sand  hills  on  the  Portage  Trail,  I  found  a 
robin's  nest;  it  was  placed  about  4  feet  from  the  ground  in  a  small  iso- 
lated spruce,  and  contained  three  eggs  which  would  havehatched  within 
a  week.    This  may  have  been  a  second  brood. 

Its  song  is  first  heard  in  the  morning  when  the  dawn  is  well  advanced, 
the  robin  being  more  tardy  to  raise  the  matin  song  than  many  of  his 
compeers.  It  is  heard  until  the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  then  usually 
ceases  until  near  suni«et,  when  it  recommences  and  continues  until  dusk. 
I  have  not  yet  noted  this  species  singing  by  night.  If  when  singing  the 
bird  be  slightly  startled  by  some  noise  close  at  hand,  the  lo'vl  cheery 
note  is  stopped,  or  at  least  altered,  so  that,  although  the  »-  n^  goes  on, 
it  is  very  faint  and  sounds  as  though  coming  from  a  great  distanc  ^,  and 
a  close  inspection  will  show  the  bird's  bill  to  be  shut.  This  was  first 
pointed  out  to  me  by  Dr.  Brodie,  but  I  have  noted  the  same  habit  in 
several  other  species. 

The  loud  rolling  notes  will  remind  Europeans  of  the  voices  of  the  Song 
Thrush  and  Blackbird,  but  there  is  a  terminal  bar  of  frequent  occurrence 
that  recalls  the  metallic  notes  of  our  own  Wood  Thrushes  and  reminds 
us  of  their  near  kinship  to  the  Red-breasted  Fifer  (Toronto,  1885). 

I  have  several  times  noticed  that  a  nest  containing  yoi  ng  robins  was 
lined  with  an  inner  coating  of  fibers,  but  can  not  say  that  this  was 
added  after  the  hatching  of  the  young. 

A  friend  informed  me  of  a  curious  circumstance  relative  to  a  brood 
of  this  species.  He  had  watched  the  old  ones  building  in  a  silverbark 
or  poplar,  but  shortly  after  the  young  were  hatched  he  observed  that 
the  parents  ceased  to  show  themselves.  After  a  little  he  climbed  the 
tree  and  found  in  the  nest  the  remains  of  the  four  young ;  nothing  but 
the  skins,  all  in  shape  with  great  staring  eyes,  but  perfectly  hollow  and 
dried  with  the  sun,  while  in  and  about  them  were  hordes  of  ants,  evi- 
dently the  devourers  if  not  the  destroyers  of  the  callow  brood. 

266.  Slalia  Blalli.     Bluebird.    Blue  Robin. 

Rare  summer  resident;  chiefly  about  the  large  towns.  Winnipeg: 
Rare  summer  visitor  (Hiue).  Red  River  Valley:  Summer  resident; 
tolerably  common;  noted  a  number  of  nests  last  year,  1884,  inside  city 


I  ? 


1'^ 


-.,/■ 


636 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


limits  (Hanter).  North  to  Lake  Winnipeg  (Bidgway).  Oak  Point : 
1885,  first  seen,  one,  on  May  24 ;  next  seen  May  25 ;  is  common  and  breeds 
here  (Small).  Portage  la  Prairie:  Scarce;  summer  resident;  a  few 
pairs  seen  each  summer ;  near  Winnipeg  quite  common  (Nash).  Gar- 
berry  :  One  record,  a  female  with  nest  and  eggs  taken  in  the  south  sand 
hills  by  my  brother,  Dr.  A.  S.  Thompson,  June  8,  1886  (Thompson). 
In  Minnesota :  Abundant ;  breeds  (Trippe). 

May,  1884,  Portage  la  Prairie :  I  have  a  single  observation  by  Mr. 
C.  W.  Nash,  which  records  the  arrival  of  about  forty  bluebirds  at 
this  place  at  this  time.  They  arrived  in  the  gray  down.  Afterwards, 
in  the  day  light,  a  second  flock  descended  from  the  upper  air  and  joined 
the  first.  Both  flocks  were  of  both  sexes.  One  inference  from  this  is 
that  the  '  "ing  migration  is  performed  at  night.  In  the  fall  the  flocks 
are  oiteu  to  be  seen  flying  by  day,  at  a  considerable  elevation,  while 
from  time  may  be  heard  their  warbling  note,  which,  though  it  sounded 
so  cheery  in  the  springtime,  now  seems  but  a  melancholy  reminder 
that  the  time  of  the  singing  of  the  birds  is  past. 

A  recent  arrival,  but  which  seeiUH  likely  to  become  abuudant  as  it  is  increasing  fast. 
The  first  I  ever  saw  arrived  iu  a  small  tlock  just  at  daylight,  May  29,  1884.  They 
hovered  about  for  a  time  and  then  pitched  down  near  my  garden  at  Portage  la 
Prairie.  As  this  place  is  fortunaii>  '\  not  inf«>sted  with  those  pests,  the  bird  col- 
lectors, they  remained,  and  two  xtairs  bred  near  me.  These  successfully  carried  o^ 
their  broods. 

May  22,  1885,  more  of  them  arrived  and  bred  in  the  town. 

May  3,  1886,  quite  a  large  dock  arrived  and  spread  themselves  all  over  the  place. 

Near  Winnipeg  they  are  also  now  quite  common,  but  I  can  not  say  when  they  first 
appeared  there.     I  saw  uoue  in  that  district  previous  to  1885. 

They  depart  early  in  October,  my  latest  record  beiugof  October  3  (Nash,  in  MSS.) 


A  CHRONOLOGICAL   LIST    OF  THE   PRINCIPAL   BOOKS  AND  ARTI- 
CLES CONSULTED. 


1744.  Doblw,  Arthur.    An  account  of  the  countries  adjoining  to  Hudson's  Bay,  etc. : 
J.  Robinson,  London.     4to. 
<3hiefly  geographical.    One  noto  on  eagles  quof^d. 
1796.  Heame,  Samuel.    A  journoy  from  Prince  of  Wales  Fort,  in  Hudson's  Bay,  to  the 
Northern  Ocean,  1769,  '70,  '71  and  '72 ;  460  pp.,  London.     4to. 
Birds,  pp.  30&-148. 
1831.  SwaiuBon,  ^m.,  and  RiohardMn,  J.,  M.  D,     Fauna   Boreali- Americana ;   or   the 
Zo(51ogy  of  the  Northern  parts  of  British  America  (etc).    Part  second.    The 
Birds,  by  S.  &  R.,  LXVI,  pp.  .'J24  ;  pis.  2'*-73.     Woodcuts,  41.     London.     4to. 
The  standard  work  on  the  Birds  of  Br.  K.  America. 
1859.  Blakiston,  T.    Scraps  from  the  West.    Xewman's  Zoologist,  xvii,  pp,  6318-6325, 
6373-6376.     Loudon.     8vo. 
Notes  of  a  Journey  from  York  Factory  to  Norway  House  and  thence  up  the  Saakatcbe- 
wan  to  Fort  Carleton. 
18S9.  Hind,  Henry  Toule,  M.  A.,  F.  R.  3.  S.,  etc.    Report  Progress.     Preliminary  and 
General  Rep.   Assiniboine  and  Sakatchewan  £xpl.  Exped.  (etc.)  in  1858, 
XII,  3.'),  192  pp.     Toronto.     4to. 
A  standard  work  of  exploration  in  Manitoba  and  adjoining  regions. 


VOL.  XIII.l 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDIKOS   OF   THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


637 


i;* 


i  4 


1860.  Hind,  H.  T.,  H.  A.,  F.  B.  O.  S.,  etc.    Narrative  of  the  Can.  Red  River  Expl.  Exped. 
of  1857,  and  of  the  Assiniboine  and  Sakatchewan  Expl.  Exped.  of  1858. 
Tw^o  vols.,  494  and  472  pp.    London.    8vo. 
A  second  edition. 
1861-'62.  BlakiBton,  T.    On  Birds  collected  and  observed  in  the  Interior  of  British 
North  Ameriott.     The  Ibis,  iii,  1861,  pp.  314-320;  iv,  1862,  pp.  3-10.    London. 
8vo. 
An  annotated  liat. 
1863.  Blakiiton,  T.    On  Birds  of  the  Interior  of  British  America.     The  Ibia,  V,  pp. 

39-87,121-155.    London.    8vo. 
1863.  Murray,  Andrew.    Contributions  to  the  Nat.  Hist,  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Terri- 
tories.   Aves:  Parti  (numerous  specimens  exhibited),  26th  January,  1859. 
Proo.  Boy,  Physical  Soo.  of  Edin.,  vol.  ii,  pp.  45-56. 
Noteson  82  species,  inolnding  a  description  of  the  new  one  (Bemiela  leucolceina), 
1868.  Oonn,  Donald.    Notes  of  an  Egging  Expedition  to  Shoal  Lake,  west  of  Lake 
Winnipeg.     Tuienty-aecond  Ann.  Rep.  Smithsonian  Inst,  for  1867,  pp.  427-432. 
Washington,  D.  C.    8vo. 
Kotes  on  Western  Grebe,  £are<l  Orel>e,  Rosy  Gull,  Tern,  Pelican,  Rnddy  Duck,  Snow 
Goose,  Red-bead,  Nigbt  Heron,  and  Meadow-lark,  whicb  I  bave  quoted  in  full. 

1870.  Tach6,  J.  C.    Sketch  of  the  No/thwest  of  America,  by  Mgr.  Tacli(5,  Bp.  of  St. 

Boniface,  1868.    Translated  from  the  French  by  Capt.  D.  R.  Cameron,  R.  A., 
1870.    Montreal.    Svo. 
Second  article.  Birds,  pp.  178-201 ;  enumerates  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  species. 

1871.  Trippe,  T.  H.    Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Minnesota.    Proc.  IComm.]  Essex  Inst.,  vi, 

pp.  113-1 19.    Salem,  Mass.    Svo. 

1875.  Couea,  Elliott.    Notes  on  two  little-known  Birds  of  the  United  States.    American 

Naturalist,  ^  ii,  Nov.,  1873,  pp.  695-697. 
Centronyx  bairdii  and  Neoeoryi  tpragueii. 
1874.  Couea,  E.    Birds  of  the  Northwest:    A  handbook  of  the  Ornithology  of  the 
region  drained  by  the  Missouri  River  and  its  tributaries,    xii,  791  pp.    Gov- 
ernment Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.  C.    Svo. 
An  important  work,  treating  cbiefly  of  synonymy,  distribution,  and  habits,  with  a  mono- 
graph of  the  Laridm. 
1874.  Baird  [8.  F.],  Brewer  [T.  M.],  and  Ridgway  [B.].    A  History  of  North  American 
Birds.    Laud  Birds.    3  vols.,  593  woodcuts.    Boston,  Mass.    4to. 
The  standard  work  on  Land  Birds  of  North  America. 

1876.  Dawaon,  George  Hercer,  Ahsoc.  R.  S.  M.,  F.  Q.  8.,  etc.    Geology  and  Resources 

of  Forty-ninth  Parallel:    British  North  American  Boundary  Commissiou. 
Montreal.    8vo. 
Cbap.  XI,  par.  eso,  pp.  280,  281,  dates  of  arrival  at  Dufferin  in  1874  of  36  species  of  birds. 
Also  pp.  3,  4,  6,  and  223,  a  brief  description  of  the  geological  features  of  the  province 
of  Manitoba. 
1878.  Coaei,  Elliott.    Field  Notes  on  Birds  Observed  in  Dakota  and  Montana  along 
the  Forty-ninth  Parallel  during  the  Seasons  of  1873  and  1874.    Bvll.  U.  S. 
Oeol.  and  Geog.  Surv.  of  Territories,  vol.  iv,  .July  29,  Art.  xxv.  No.  3.    Gov- 
ernment Printing  Office,  Washington,  D.  C.    8vo. 
A  valuable  contribution  of  field  notes  continually  cited  and  quoted  tu  the  foregoing , 

1880.  Bell,  Sobert,  M.D.,  F.G.S.,  C.E.,  etc.    A  List  of  Birds  from  the  region  between 

Norway  House  and  the  P orts  Churchill  and  York.     Geol.  Smv.,  Can.,  1879, 
App.  VI,  pp.  67o-70o.    Montreal.    Svo. 
An  annotated  liat  of  55  species. 

1881.  [Chreen,  Samnel.]  (Letter  on  nesting  of  Blue  Heron  in  Manitoba  by  "Bird's  Tail.") 

Canadian  Sportsman  and  Naturalist,    vol.    1,  No.  2,    February   15,   p.  13. 
Montreal.    8  vo. 

Deaoription  of  an  immense  heronry  quoted  in  fall  by  me. 
1881.  Kaeoun,  John,  K.  A,  F.L8.,  etc.  Ornithological  notes.    Ann.  Rep,  Dept.  Inter,  for 
the  year  ending  Decmnber  31,  1880,  pp.  23-28.    Ottawa.    Svo. 

An  annotated  liat  of  109  apeolea  observed  in  North weatern  Canada. 


II    i 


l^ 


y 


638 


THE   BIRDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


1882.  Kaeoon,  Joh-i,  M.  A.,  F.  L.  S.,  eto.    Manitoba  and  the  great  Northwest ;  pp.  687. 
Ouelpb,  Ontario.    8vo. 
Chap.  XXI,  pp.  354—373.    "  Birds  of  thn  Northwest,"  ennmerat«s  235  species. 

1882.  Bell,  Robert,  H.  D.,  L.  L.  D.,  F.  Q.  S.    Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Hudson's  Bay.    Proo. 

Soy.  Soc,  Can.,  sec.  iv,  art.  VI,  pp.  49-54.    Montreal.    4to. 
Banning  commentary  on  68  species. 

1883.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.J  Pediaecetea  phaaianellitt,  or  Prairie  Chicken;  by  "Ernest 

E.  T.  Seton."    Can.  Journal,  vol.  1.  pp.  405-412,  Toronto,  Ont.,  February.    8vo. 
An  original  biography. 

1883.  Brodie,  Wm.  George  A.  Notes  on  the  Nat.  Hist,  of  Manitoba.     Can.  Sport$man  and 

Naturalist,  vol.  iii,  No.  4,  pp.  221-224.    Montreal.    8  vo. 
A  running  commentary  on  65  species. 

1884.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.]   The  Prairie  Chicken,  or  Sharp-tailed  Grouse ;  by  "  Ernest 

E.  T.  Seton."    Sep.  Dep.  Agriculture,  Prov.  Manitoba,  for  1383,  pp.  483-486. 
Winnipeg.    8vo. 
A  reprint  from  the  Case  Journal  of  Febrnary  1,  1883. 
1884.  Bell,  Bobert,  H.  D.,  LL.  D.,  F.  0.  S.,  eto.    Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Hudson's  Bay.  Bep. 
Dep.  Agr.,  Prov.  Manitoba,  for  1883,  pp.  487-490.    Winnipeg.     8vo. 
A  reprint  from  the  Proo.  Roy.  Sue.  Canada,  as  above  cited. 
1884.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.]    Nest  and  habits  of  the  Couneoticnt  Warbler  (Oporor- 
nia  agiU»);  by  "Ernest  E.  T.  Seton."    The  Auk,  vol,  1,  April,  pp.  192,  193. 
Boston,  Mass.     8vo. 
Describing  the  first  anthentio  nest  and  eggs. 
1884.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.]    The  Prairie  Chicken  \ Pediocates"].    •    •    •    Hints  on 
rearing  and  domestication ;  by  "Ernest  E.  T.  Seton."    T>-ans.  Man.  Hist. 
Sci.  Soc,  No.  14,  pp.  13-18.    Winnipeg.    8vo. 
A  life-history  with  very  fall  account  of  the  growth  of  the  yoang,  etc.    This  was  also 
printed  in  full  in  the  Winnipeg  Free  Pretl  of  a  previous  date. 

1884.  Baird  [8.  F.],  Brewer  [T.  M.],  Bidgway  [B.]    The  Water  Birds  of  North  America 

2  vols.    Boston,  Mass.    4to. 
This,  with  the  Land  Birds,  1874,  completes  the  Birds  of  America,  the  standard  work  on 
the  subject. 
1886.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.]    Notes  on  Manitoban  Birds ;  by  "Ernest  E.  T.  Seton." 
The  Auk,  vol.  ii,  July,  pp.  267-271.    Boston,  Mass.    8vo. 

1885.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.  ]    Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Philadelphia  Vireo ;  by  "  Ernest  E. 

T.  Seton."     The  Auk,  vol.  ii,  July,  pp.  305,  306.    Boston,  Mass.    8vo. 
Describing  the  first  authentic  nest  and  eggs  of  the  species. 

1885.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.]    The  Western  Grebe   in  Manitoba;  by  "Ernest  E.  T. 

Seton."    The  Auk,  vol.  ii,  July,  p.  314.     Boston,  Mass.  8vo. 

1886.  [Thompson,  Ernest E.]    Manitoban  Notes;  by  "Ernest  £.  T.  Seton."    The  Auk 

vol.  II,  Jan.,  pp.  21-24.    Boston,  Mass.     8vo. 
1886.  [Thompson,  Ernest  E.]    The  Swallow-tailed  Flycatcher  in  Manitoba  and  at  York 

Factory  ;  by  "Ernest  E.  T.  Seton."    The  Auk,  vol.  ii,  April,  p.  218.    Boston, 

Mass.    8vo. 
1886.  Christy,  Miller.    Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Manitoba.    The  Zoologist,  3d  series,  vol. 

IX,  No.  100,  April,  pp.  121-133.     London.     8vo. 
1886.  Wood,  T.  B.    "  Notes  on  the  Zoology  of  Manitoba ;"  communicated  by  T.  H.  Nel- 
son.   The  Zoologist,  3d  series,  vol.  IX,  No.  102,  June,  pp.   224-227 ;  No.  103, 

July,  pp.  241-248.    London,  8vo. 
1886.  Christy,  Hiller.    Manitoba  described.    •    •    •  Farming,  climate,  sport,  natural 

history,  and  future  prospect  of  the  country  ;  208  pp.    London.    8vo. 
Chapter  ii,  on  the  action  of  prairie  fires,  argues  that  the  prairies  were  deforested  by  run- 
ning fires.    Chapter  xni,  sport  and  natural  his  jory,  general  remarks. 
1886.  Christy,  Miller.    Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Manitoba.    (Reprinted  from  The  Zoologist; 

revised  for  the  Monthly.)    Caw.   Soi.  Monthly,  vol.  iii.  No,  7,  Jnly,   pp. 

92-94;  No.  8,  August,  pp.  105-113.    Kentville,  Nova  Scotia.    Svo. 
A  reprint  ilrom  the  Zofiloglst,  with  slight  alterations. 


rttman  and 


VOL.  XIII.T 
i89U.    J 


PROCEEDINGS  OF   THE   NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


639 


1888.  [Thompwrn,  Emett  E.]    The  Birds  of  Western  Manitoba  ;  by  "Ernest  E.  T. 
S.3ton."    The  4uk,  vol.  iii,  April,  pp.  145-156;  July,  pp.  320-329;  Oct.,  p. 
453.    New  York.    8vo. 
An  annotated  list  of  2S8  species. 
1888.  Ijrrrell,  J.  B.,  B.  A.,  F.  O.  S.,  etc.    Notes  to  accompany  a  preliminary  map  of  the 
Dnck  and  Riding  Mountains  in  Northwestern  Manitoba.     Geol.   and  Nat. 
Hist.  Survey  of  Canada.    Part  E.,  Ann.  Rep.,  1857.    Montreal.    8vo. 
Contains  matter  referring  to  distribntion  of  timber,  etc.,  used  in  preparing  the  maps, 
1888   Cooke,  W.  W.    Report  on  Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  in  the  years 
1884  and  1885.     U.  S.  Vep.  of  Agric.,  Bulletin  No.  2,  313  pp.    Gov't  Printing 
Office,  Washington,  D.  C.    8vo. 
1888.  Thompson,  Ernest  E.    The  Song  of  the  Prairie  Lark.    American  Magazine,  April, 
pp.  717-720.    New  York.     8vo. 
Popular  article  on  habits,  with  musical  notation  of  song  and  two  woodcuts.    The  article 
is  herewith  reproduced  with  sligh.t  alterations. 
1890.  Shawe,  Wm.,  F.  B.  0.  8.    Phillips's  Imperial  Atlas  of  the  World.    Geo.  Phillips 
&  Sons,  London.    Fol. 
Charts  Ko3.  67  and  60  used  in  preparing  my  own  maps. 


A  LIST  OF  THE  MANUSCRIPTS  USED  IN  COMPLETING  THE  FORE- 

GOING  NOTES. 

1782.  Hutohint,  T.  Observations  on  Hudson's  Bay,  651  pp. ;  pp.  45-180  treats  of 
birds. 

An  interesting  unpublished  manuscript  volume  in  the  library  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  at  London,  with  marginal  annotations  by  Pennant.  The 
author  was  for  twenty-five  years  in  the  employ  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany. There  is  no  date  or  title  page  to  the  volume,  but  the  last  date  men- 
tioned is  July  10,  1782,  and  it  seems  safe  to  conclude  that  it  was  issued 
about  this  date,  from  the  fact  that  Pennant,  in  his  second  volume  of  Arctic 
Zoology  (p.  222),  published  in  1785,  refers  to  Mr.  Hutchins's  manuscript  as 
though  it  had  just  reached  him  in  a  complete  state. 

1879-'81.  Maoonn,  Prof.  John.  Observations  on  the  birds  observed  in  western  Mani- 
toba during  these  three  s^iasons,  specially  revised  and  corrected  for  E.  E. 
Thompson. 

1882-'83-'84-'8ft-'86-'87.  Thompson,  Ernest  E.  Ornithological  Journal,  made  chiefly  at 
Carberry  in  the  years  named,  herein  extensively  quoted. 

1883-'84.  Thompson,  Arthur  8.,  H.  D.  Notes  on  the  arrival  of  birds  at  Winnipeg  and 
Carberry  in  the  above  seasons ;  prepared  for  E.  E.  Thompson. 

1883-'84.  Biohardson,  George.  Notes  on  the  arrival  of  birds  at  Carberry  in  the  above 
seasons;  prepared  for  E.  E.Thompson. 

1884-'86.  Nash,  C.  W.  Observations  on  the  birds  of  Portage  la  Prairie  and  vicinity, 
during  these  two  seasons;  communicated  to  the  A.  O.  U.  committee  on  bird 
migration. 

1884-'86.  Criddle,  Percy.  Observations  on  the  birds  of  Two  Rivers  and  vicinity,  dur- 
ing these  two  seasons ;  communicated  to  the  A.  O.  U.  committee  on  bird  mi- 
gration. 

1884-'86.  Onenuey,  Ooorge  F.  Observations  on  the  birds  of  Qu'Appelle  and  vicinity ; 
communicated  to  E.  E.  Thompson  at  various  times  in  the  seasons  mentioned. 

1884-'86.  Small,  A.  T.  Observations  on  the  birds  of  Oak  Point,  Manitoba,  during 
the  above  two  seasons  ;  communicated  to  the  A.  0.  U.  committee  on  bird  mi- 
gration. 

1885.  Oalentt,  B.  Observations  on  the  birds  of  Shell  River,  Manitoba ;  communicated 
to  the  A.  O.  U.  committee  on  bird  migration. 


,.^.. 


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640 


THE   BIBDS   OP   MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 


U86.  Toamani,  Lottie.    Obaer'^^'i.tions  on  the  birds  of  Daltoa,  Manitoba,  and  vioinity  ; 

com  nunicated  to  the  A.  O.  U.  oommittee  on  bird  migration. 
1385.  Hunter,  Biehard  H.    Annotated  list  of  the  birds  of  Red  Biver  Valley ;  prepared 

for  E.  E.  Thompson. 
1886.  Wagner,  ¥.    Observations  on  the  birds  of  the  vicinity  of  Ossowa,  Manitoba ; 

communicated  to  the  A.  O.  U.  oommittee  on  bird  migration. 
1885-'88.  Flnnkett.    Observations  of  the  birds  of  Swampy  or  Berens  Island,  Lake 

Winnipeg,  for  the  above  seasons;  communicated  to  the  A.  O.  U.  committee 

on  bird  migration. 
1890.  Hine,  William.    Observations  on  the  birds  of  the  vioinity  of  Winnipeg;  pre- 
pared for  E.  E.  Thompson,  in  March,  1890. 
1890.  Hath,  C.  W.    Annotated  list  of  the  birds  of  the  vicinity  of  Portage  la  Prairie, 

Manitoba;  prepared  for  E.  E. Thompson,  May,  1890. 

IXDEX  OF  BIRDS  OF  MANITOBA. 


Acadian  Flyoatoher,  501. 

AcanthishomomanllexiUpe8,586. 

Acanthis  llnarla,  S86. 

Acclpiter  utrloaplUnB,  527. 

Acciplter  oooperl,  527. 

Acclpiter  velox,  527. 

Actltis  macularia,  SOS. 

^chinopborns  oooldentalis,  403. 

.^gialitls  meloda,  507. 

.^gialitia  aerolpalniata,  S07. 

^Xgialitis  vncifera,  SOO. 

Acelains  phoenioeus,  572. 

Aix  Hponsa,480. 

American  Avocet,  407. 

American  Bittern,  488, 

American  Black  Scoter,  484. 

American  Coot,  495. 

American  CroMblll,  S8S. 

American  Crow,  585. 

American  Eared  Orebe,  408. 

American  Goldfinch,  580. 

American  Ooldt'n  Plover,  SCO. 

American  Qolden-oye,  482. 

American  Ooshawk,  527. 

American  Hawk  Owl,  546. 

American  Herrinx  Onll,  408. 

American  Lonx-oared  Owl,  539. 

American  Mkgpie,  SOS. 

American  KlerKanser,  474. 

American  Osprey,  S37. 

American  Pipit,  025. 

American  Redstart,  0S4, 

American  Robin,  034. 

American  Rough  legged  Hawk, 
633. 

Amrrloan  Scanp  Dock,  481. 

American  Sparrow  Hawk,  537. 

Americao  Three-toed  Wood- 
pecker, 550. 

American  Whltv-f routed  OooNe, 
480. 

American  White  Pelican,  478. 

American  Wnodcook,  4Ml 

AmmndramoR  bainlil,  SOS. 

Ammodramna  lecontel,  580. 

Amrootlramna  aaadwiohenala  al* 
andinoi,  804. 


Ampelis  oedromm,  013. 
Ampella  garrnlua,  Oil. 
Anas  amerioana,  470. 
Anas  bosohas,  474. 
Anas  carolinensis,  477. 
Anas  cyanoptera,  479. 
Anas  dlscors,  478. 
Anas  obscara,  470. 
Anas  strepero,  470. 
Anser  albifrons  gambeli,  486. 
Anthus  pensilvanicas,  025. 
Anthus  sprngneii,  020. 
Antrostomus  vooiferans,  553. 
Aqulla  chrysietos,  53.1. 
Arctic  Homed  Owl,  545. 
Arctic    Three-toed    Wood- 
pecker, 549. 
Arctic  Towhee,  607. 
Arohibiiteo  ferrnginens,  533. 
A.  lagopns  sancti-Johannis,  633. 
Ardea  hnrodiax,  489. 
Ardea  yirescens,  490. 
Arenuria  interpres,  507. 
Ashy-nape,  601. 
Aslo  accipitrinns,  640. 
Asio  wilsonianas,  530. 
Aythya  nfflnis,  482. 
Aythya  amerioana,  480. 
Aythya  oollarls,  482. 
Aythya  marila  nearctica,  481. 
Aythya  vallisneria,  481. 
Bald  Eagle,  633. 
BaMpate,  470. 
Ralrd's  Sandpiper,  600^ 
Balrd's  Sparrow,  685. 
Baltimore  Oriole,  580. 
Barred  Owl,  541. 
Bartramia  longloaiida,  608. 
BartrAmian  Sandpiper,  608. 
Bank  Swallow,  Oil. 
Darn  Swallow,  010. 
Barrow's  Golden-eye,  408. 
Hay  wing,  598. 

Bay  brMUted  Warbler,  010. 
Belted  Klngflaher,  547. 
Big  Blue-bin,  481. 
BiK  HeUdiver.  4«7. 


Bircb  Partridge.  508. 
niackand-white  Warbler,  010. 
Black-bellied  Plover,  606. 
Black-bellied  Cuckoo,  647. 
Black-breasted  Longspnr,  501, 
Blaokburnian  Warbler,  019. 
Black-head,  481. 
Black-heart,  601. 
Blaok-capped  Flycatcher,  024. 
Black-crowned  Night  Heron,  491. 
Black  Dnck,  476. 
Black  GyrfiUcon,  534. 
Black-poll  Wnrbler,  010. 
Black  Torn,  470. 
Block-throated  Loon,  408. 
Blneblnl,  036. 
Bine  Goose,  485. 
Bine-headed  Blackbird,  681. 
Blue-headed  Vlreo,  016. 
Blue  Jay,  505. 
Blue  Robin,  035. 
Blue-winge<l  Teal,  478. 
Bohemian  Wax- wing.  Oil. 
Bonaparte's  Gnll,  400. 
Bonaita  umbellns  togata,  808. 
Bonasa  nmbellus   ambelloldee 

609. 
Botanma  exills,  488. 
Botanms  lentiglnosus,  488. 
Brant,  487. 
Branta  bemiola,  487. 
Branta  canadeusis,  400. 
Branta  caniiilonslshatchtnall,48l 
Brewer's  Blackbird,  681. 
Broad- winged  Hawk,  632. 
Bionied  Graokle,  682. 
Brown  Creeper,  080. 
Brown  TbrMher,  087. 
Brown  Thrush,  Ot7. 
Bubo  virgialanas  aroUooa,  648. 
Bubo  virginlanna  •abarotlont, 

Mi 
Bnilklo  Bird,  000. 
Buff  breasted  Sandpiper,  tOfc 
Bnffle-head,  183. 
BnUet  Hawk,  810. 
Bateo  boTMkUa,  srM. 


V  * 


VOL.  XIII,  T 
1800.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE   NATIONAL   MUSEUM. 


641 


Island,  Lake 
U.  oommittoe 


'catcher,  024. 
ight  Heron,  491. 


Bateo  latiBslmna,  532. 
Bnten  Uneatus,  529. 
Bateo  Bwainsoni,  529. 
Calamospiza  melanoeorys,  608. 
CalcariDB  lapponicus,  588. 
CalcariuB  omatas,  591. 
Calcarius  pictas,  591. 
Calldria  arena  ia,  601. 
Canada  Goo»e,  486. 
Canada  -Jay,  566. 
Canadian  Rnffeil  Groase,  508. 
Canadian  Warbler,  624. 
Canvan-back,  481. 
Capo  May  Warbler,  617. 
Carpodacus  purpureu^,  585. 
Catbird,  627. 
Catbartes  aura,  523. 
Cedar  Wax-wing,  612. 
Ceophloeus  pileatus,  550. 
Ceppbuj  mandti,  468. 
Certbiafamilfariaamericana,  630. 
Ceryle  alcyon,  547. 
CbKtara  pelagioa,  556. 
Cbaradrias  dominions,  506. 
Charadrius  squaterola,  506. 
Cbaritonetta  albeola,  483. 
Chelidon  erythrogaster,  610. 
Cben  c(eruleRceu0, 485. 
Cben  byperborea,  485. 
Cherry  Bird,  612. 
Chestnut-collared  Longapnr,  501. 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  619. 
Chicken  Hawk,  527. 
Chimney  Swift,  556. 
Chipping  Sparrow,  600. 
Chondestes  grammacus,  597. 
Chordolles  virginlanus  sennctti, 

554. 
Cinnamon  Teal,  479. 
Circus  budsonious,  521. 
CUtotborus  paluHtris,  630, 
Clstothorus  stellarls,  629. 
Clangula  hyemalis,  483. 
Clay-colored  Sparrow,  601. 
Cllir Swallow,  609. 
Cllvioola  riparia.  611. 
Cock  of  the  Woods,  580. 
(.'ocoysiis  erytbrophthalmns,  647. 
Coccuthraustes  v^spertiuus,  584. 
Colaptes  auratus,  551. 
ColymbuB  anritus,  465. 
Colymbus  holbr  >llil,  465. 
Colymbus   nigrloollls   callforni- 

ens,  406. 
Common  Uenbawk,  629. 
Common  Rail,  494. 
Common  Shrike,  613. 
Common  Snipe,  408. 
Common  T«rn,  469. 
(^mroon  Wren,  628. 
Conneotlrnt  Warbler,  621. 
Cooper's  Uawk,  627. 
Contopus  borealis,  660. 
Oontopns  rlchardsonil,  560. 
Contopus  Ylrens,  660. 
Corvus  amerlcanu«,  &08, 


Coryns  oorax  principalis,  567. 
Cowbird,  671. 
Coween,  483. 
Creeper,  616. 
Created  Flycatcher,  559. 
Crow  Duck,  472.       * 
Crow  Blackbird,  582. 
Cyanocitta  cristata,  565. 
Dabchick,  467. 
Dafila  acuta,  479. 
Dendragapus  canadensis,  507. 
Dcndroica  testlva,  617. 
Dendroica  castanea.  619. 
Dendroica  blackbumitc,  619. 
Dendroica  coronata,  618. 
Dendroica  maculosa,  618. 
Dendroica  palmarum,  620. 
Dendroica  pensylvanica,  619. 
Dendroica  striata,  619. 
Dendroica  tlgrina,  617. 
Dendroica  vlgorsil,  520. 
Doliobonyx  oryzivurus    albina- 

oha,  570. 
Double-crested  Cormorant,  473. 
Downy  Woodpecker,  549. 
Dryobates  pubescens,  519. 
Dryobatea  villo«us   leucomelas, 

548. 
Duck  Hawk,  535. 
Dusky  Duck,  476. 
Eave  Swallow,  609. 
Ectopistea  migratorlus,  522. 
Elanoldes  forflcatus,  524. 
Empldonax  acadlcus,  561. 
Empidonax  flaviventris,  561. 
Empldonax  minimus,  561. 
Empldonax  pusillus  trallll,  561, 
Ereunctes  pusillus,  601. 
Erlsmatura  rnblda,  484. 
Evening  Orosboak,  584. 
Falco  columbarius,  536. 
Faico  peregrinns  anatum,  535. 
Falco  rlchardsonil,  537. 
Falco  rtistlcnliis  obsoletus,  534. 
Falco  sparverius,  537. 
Ferruginous  Uough-leg,  533. 
Fish  Duck,  474. 
Fish  Hawk.  537. 
Field  Sparrow,  603. 
Flicker.  551. 
Plying  Sheep,  191. 
Forster's  Tern,  469. 
Fox  Sparrow,  606. 
Franklin's  Gull,  469. 
Fulloa  americaua,  495. 
Gadwall,  47A. 

OalcoHooptis  carolinensis,  637. 
Galiinago  dellcata,  408. 
Geothlypts  agilia,  Oil. 
Geothlypis  Philadelphia,  623, 
Geothlypts  trlchaa,  623. 
Glauclonetta  oangulaameri- 

oana.  482. 
Olauolonettk  lilandtca,  483. 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet,  633. 
Goldon-wluged  Mroo<lpecker,S81, 


Golden  Eagle,  533. 
Gray  Duck,  476. 
Gray  Ruffed  Grouse,  509. 
Great  Blue  Heron,  489. 
Great  Gray  Owl,  641. 
Greater  Yellow-legs,  602. 
Green  Heron,  490. 
Green-winged  Teal,  477. 
Grua  amcricana,  491. 
Grus  mexicana,  401. 
Gray-checked  Thrush,  633. 
Habia  ludoviciana,  607. 
Halisetus  leucocephalus,  633. 
Harrier,  524. 
Harris's  Sparrow,  597. 
Harlequin  Duck,  484. 
Harporhynohus  rufus,  637. 
Helmluthophila  celata,  616. 
Helmlnthopblla  peregrlna,  616. 
Hermit  Thrush,  634. 
Highholder,  651. 
Hlstrlonlous  hlstrionlcns,  484. 
Hoary  Red-poll,  686. 
Hooded  Merganser,  474. 
HolbiiU's  Grebe,  465. 
Horned  Grebe,  465. 
House  Swallow,  600. 
Hudsonian  Chickadee,  633. 
Hudaonlan  Godwit,  502. 
Ilutcblns's  Goose,  487. 
Hydrocbelldon  nigra  sarinamen- 

als,  470. 
Icterus  galbnla,  580. 
Icterus  spurius,  680. 
Intermediate  Sparrow,  59(. 
Junco  hyemalis,  603. 
Jnnco  hyemalia  shufeldtl,  604. 
KiUdeer,  506. 
Kingbird,  557. 
King  Rail,  494. 
Knot,  500. 

Lagopus  lagopas,  614. 
LiinluH  Irarealis,  613, 
Lanlus  liiilovlclanua  excubltorl* 

des,  613. 
Lark  Bunting,  608. 
Lark  Sparrow,  597. 
Larus    argentatus      smtthsont- 

anus,  468. 
Larus  ddawarensls,  468. 
Larus  fVanklini,  460. 
Lurni  phlladolphia,  469. 
Laughing  Goose,  486, 
Lapland  Longspur,  588. 
Least  Bittern,  489, 
Least  Flycatcher,  561. 
Least  Sandpiper,  631. 
Leconte's  Sparrow,  696. 
LoSBir  Duck,  482. 
Limuia  fedoa,  501. 
Limosa  hii-maatick,  603. 
LInooln'a  Sparrow,  005. 
Little  Blue-bill,  413. 
Loon,  467. 

Long-billed  CnrUw,  506. 
Lougbllled  Dowitoher.SOOt 


Proc.  N.  M.  90 41 


/' 


If!i 


642 


THE   BIRDS    OF  MANITOBA THOMPSON. 


Long-billed  Marsh  Wron,  830. 
Long-tailed  Chickadee,  631. 
Lophodytes  cucnllatas,  474. 
Lozia  cuTTlrostra  minor,  689. 
Loxia  lencoptera,  586. 
Macrorbampaa  acolopacens,  500. 
Magnolia  Warbler,  618. 
Mallard,  474. 
Maudt's  Guillemot,  468. 
Marbled  Uodwit,  501. 
Marsh  Blue-bUl,  482. 
Marsh  Ha<vk,  524. 
Marsh  Tfirn,  470 
Marsh  Owl,  540, 
Marjlaud  Yellowthroat,  623. 
Mi'lanerpe8erythrocephalus,551. 
Iktelospiza  fasciata,  604. 
Melospiza  georgiana,  005. 
Muluspiza  liacolni,  606. 
Iklerganser  amcricanus,  474. 
Merganser  serrator,  474. 
Morula  migratoria,  634. 
Mtcropalama  bimantopus,  500. 
Milvultts  forflcatus,  557. 
Missouri  Skylark,  636. 
Mniotllta  varia,  616. 
Molotbrus  ater,  571. 
Mourning  Dove,  523. 
Mourning  Warbler,  622. 
Myiarchns  crlnitus,  650. 
Myrtle  Warbler,  018. 
Nashville  Warbler,  610. 
Night-hawk,  554. 
Northern  Hairy  Woodpecker,548. 
Northern  Phalaropc,  487. 
Noithern  Kaven,  507. 
Northern   Sharp-tailed  Qrouse, 

670. 
Northern  Shrike,  612. 
Numenlus  longirostris,  505. 
Nyctala  acadica,  543. 
Nyctea  nyctea,  546. 
Nyctlcoras  nyotioorax  naivias, 

401. 
Nyctala  tengmalmi  rlohardsonl, 

642. 
Oidemia  americana,  484. 
Oldemla  dogiandi,  484 
Oidomla  persptclUata,  484. 
Old  Squaw,  483, 
Olor  buocinator,  487. 
Olor  colambianus,  487. 
Olivobaoked  Thrash,  633. 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  660. 
Orange-orowned  Warbler,  616. 
Otocorts  alpeatrla,  664. 
Otoouria  alpeatrla  pratioola,  663. 
Ovenbird,  620. 
Orchard  Oriole,  680 
Palm  Warbler,  63^. 
Painted  Longsur,  601. 
Pandlon  halliiatua  oarolinonsta, 

638. 
Partridge,  lOS. 
Parai  atrlcaplllua  aeptentriou- 

alls,  631. 
Parus  budaonloni,  613. 


Pasaerella  illaca,  606. 
Pediooeetes  phasianelios,  516. 
Pediocsetes    phasianellus    cam- 

pestro,  516. 
Pectoral  Sandpiper,  600. 
Pelecanus  erythrorhyncbos,  473. 
Peregrine  Falcon,  635. 
Perisoreus  canadensis,  666. 
Petrochelidon  luuifrons,  600. 
Pewee,  660. 

Fhalacrocorax  dilophus,  473. 
Phalaropus  lobatus,  497. 
Pbalarcpus  tricolor,  497. 
Fhilohcla  minor,  498. 
Philadelphia  vireo,  616. 
Phoebe,  660. 

Picoides  americanns,  550. 
Picoides  arcticus,  540. 
Pica  pica  httdsonica,  566. 
Pied-bUled  Grebe.  467. 
Pigeon  Hawk,  536. 
Pileated  Woodpecker,  650. 
Pino  Grosbeak,  584. 
Fine  Linnet,  587. 
Pine  Siskin,  587. 
Pine  Warbler,  020. 
Finicola  enucleator,  584. 
Pintail,  179. 

Pipiio  erythropbthalmus,  607. 
Pipilo  maculatus  arcticus,  607. 
Piping  Plover,  507. 
Pirauga  erythroraelas,  608. 
Pinnated  Qrouse,  614. 
Plectroplienas  nivalis,  587. 
Poocit'tesgramineusconfluis,  592. 
Podilymbus  podiceps,  467. 
Porzaua  Carolina,  479. 
Porzana  noveboracensls,  475. 
Prairie  Chicken,  516. 
Prairie  Hen,  514, 
Prairie  Horned  Lark,  673, 
Prairie  Lark,  573. 
Prairie  Plover,  603. 
Prairie  Shore  Lark,  562. 
Progne  subis,  608. 
Pnrple  Flucb,  685. 
Purple  Martin,  008. 
Quaily,  503. 

(juUoalus  qnlsoala  (eneus,  682. 
iCallua  elegans,  404. 
Kallus  vtrglnlanua,  494. 
Kecurvirnstra  amerioaoa. 
Kedbaoked  Sandpiper,  601. 
Kedeyed  Vireo, 614. 
Rec'.-breasted  Merganser,  474. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  631. 
Red  breasted  Snipe,  500. 
Red  Crossbill,  986. 
Red -head,  480. 

Redheaded  Woodpecker,  661. 
Red-necked  Grebe,  469. 
Red  poll,  686. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk,  639. 
Red-tailed  Hawk,  628. 
Red-throated  Humming  Blrd,5S7. 
Red  throated  Loon,  468. 
Red-winged  Blackbird,  672, 


Rod-poll  Warbler,  620. 
Regnlus  calendula,  632. 
Regulus  satrapa,  632. 
Richardson's  Merlin,  537. 
Richardson's  Owl,  543. 
Richardson's  Pewee,  560. 
Ring-billed  Gull,  468. 
King-neck,  507. 
Ring-necked  Duck,  482. 
Robin  Snipe,  500, 
Kose-breasted  Grosbeak,  607. 
Rosy  Gull,  460. 
Rusty  Blackbird,  681. 
Ruby -crowned  Kinglet,  638. 
Ruddy  Duck,  632. 
Sanderling,60I. 
Sandhill  Crane,  491. 
Sand  Martin.  611. 
Satin  Bird,  581. 
Sayomis  phcebe,  660. 
Saw-whet  Owl,  672. 
Scarlet  Tanagcr,  608. 
Scissor-talled  Flycatcher,  557. 
Scolecophagus  carolinus,  581. 
ScolecophaguH     oyanocephalus, 

681. 
Sea  Swallow,  469. 
Seiurus  noveboracensls,  621. 
Semipalmated  Plover,  507. 
Semlpalmated  Sandpiper,  501. 
Setophaga  ruticilla,  634. 
Sbaip-shinued  Hawk,  627. 
Sheldrake,  474. 
Shore  Lark,  564. 
Short-billed  Marsh  Wren,  629. 
Short  eared  Owl,  540. 
Shoveler,479. 
Shufeldt'sJunco,  604. 
Sialia  stalls,  635. 
Sltta  canadensis,  631. 
Sitta  caroUnensis,  633. 
Slate-colored  Junco,  603. 
Slender-billed  Nathatcb,  630. 
Smith's  Longspur,  691. 
Snow  Bird,  587. 
Snow  Bunting,  587. 
Snow  Flake,  587. 
Snow  Goose,  486. 
Snowy  Owl,  546. 
Soldier  Blackbird,  672. 
Solitary  Sandpiper,  668. 
Song  Sparrow,  604, 
Sora,  491. 

Spatula  clypeata,  479. 
Sp.  )klebelly,486. 
Sp.tyraplous  Tariua,680. 
Spider  Bird,  617. 
Spinas  pinus,  687. 
Bpicus  tristls,  886. 
Spliella  roontlcola,  600. 
Spliella  pallida,  601. 
Spltella  pusilla,  603. 
Spliella  aoclalla,  600. 
Spoonbill,  479. 
Spotted  Sandpiper,  609. 
Spragbo'a  Pipit,  635. 
Spruce  Partrtdfio,  607. 


"■"*"«*«il,ll,j^ 


VOL.  XIII,  1 
1890.    J 


PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE   NATIONAL    MUSEUM. 


643 


Sterna  birundo,  469. 
Sterna  forsteri,  469. 
Stilt  Sandpiper,  500, 
Sturnella  magna  neglecta,  573. 
Surf  Dock,  484. 
Surf  Scoter,  484. 
Surnia  caparooh,  546. 
Swainson's  Hawk,  529. 
Swallow-tailed  Duck,  483. 
Swallow-tailed  Kite.  624. 
Swamp  Sparrow,  605. 
Sylvanla  canadensis,  621. 
Sylvania  puailla,  624. 
Syrapliemia  semipalmata,  503. 
Syrnium  nebulosum,  641. 
Tacbyciueta  bioolor,  010. 
Tennessee  Warbler,  617. 
Titlark,  625. 
Totanua  flavipes,  502. 
TotauuH  melanolencns,  502. 
Totnnus  solitarius,  503 
Towee,  607. 

Traill's  Flycatcher,  561. 
Tree  Duck,  482. 
Tree  Sparrow,  600. 
Tree  Swallow,  610. 
Tringa  alpina  paclflca,  501, 
Tringa  l>airdli,  500. 
Tringa  canutus,  500. 
Triuga  fuscicoUis,  500. 
Tringa  maoalata,  500. 
Tringa  miuutilla,  501. 
Tioohilus  colubris,  557. 
Troglodytes  ai'don  nztecas,626. 
Troglodytes  biemalis,  609. 
Trumpeter  Swan,  487. 
Tiirdus  aonalaschka^  pall.isii,634. 
Turdus  fuscesceus,  633. 
Tardus  fusceaceos  saliolcolus, 
633. 


Tardus  aliciae,  633. 

Turdus  nstnlatus  swainBoni, 

633. 
Turkey  Vulture,  523. 
Turnstone,  507. 
Tryngites  subruiicoUis,  505. 
Tympanucbns  americanus,  514. 
Tyrannns  tyrannus,  557. 
Ululacinerea,  541. 
TJrinator  arcticus,  468. 
Uriuator  lurame,  468. 
Urinator  imber,  467. 
Veery,  633. 
Vireo  flavifrons,  616. 
Vireo  gilvus,  615. 
Vireo  olivaceus,  614. 
Virginia  Rail,  494. 
Vireo  pbiladelpbicus,  615. 
Vireo  solitarius,  616. 
Warbling  Vireo,  616. 
Wagtail,  621. 
Wavy.  486. 
Wr.cer  Sparrow,  495. 
Water  Thrusb,  621. 
Western  Bobolink,  570. 
Western  Grebe,  463. 
Western  Horned  Owl,  ,'>42. 
Western  House  Wren,  628. 
Western  Meadow-lark,  573. 
Western  Savannah  Sparrow, 

694. 
Western  Vesper  Sparrow,  692. 
Western  Wood  Pewee,  560, 
Whistler,  482. 
Whistling  Swan,  487. 
White-headed  Eagle,  533. 
White  Wavy,  485. 
White-winged  Scoter,  484. 
White  Thrush,  633. 
White-naped  Bobolink,  670. 


Wbite-rumped  Sandpiper,  500. 
White  Partridge,  614. 
Whooping  Crane,  491. 
Whip-poor-will,  353. 
White-breasted  Swallow,  610. 
White-crowned  Sparrow,  598. 
White  Owl,  545. 
Whlte-rumped  Shrike,  613. 
White-tl""oated  Sparrow,  698. 
White-wiuged  Crossbill,  686. 
Whisky  Jack,  600. 
Widgeon,  476. 
Wild  Canary,  586. 
Wild  Goose,  486. 
Wild  Pigeon,  622. 
Willet,  603. 

Wilson's  Phalarope,  497. 
Willow  Ptarmigan,  514. 
Wilson's  Snipe,  498. 
Wilson's  Thrush,  633. 
Wilson's  Warbler  624. 
Willow  Warbler,  617. 
Willow  Wren,  617. 
Winter  Wren,  629. 
Wis-Ka-tjaii,  566. 
AVood  Duck,  480. 
Wood  Pewee,  560. 
Wren,  632. 
Xanthocephalus     xanthocepha- 

lus,  571. 
Tellow-bellied  Flycatcher,  561. 
Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  650, 
Yellow-headed  Blackbird,  571. 
Yollow.legs,  502. 
Yellow  Rail,  495. 
Yellow-throated  Vireo,  616, 
Yellow  Warbl  3r,  617. 
Zenaidura  luacroura,  523, 
Zonotrichia  albicollis,  598. 
Zonotrichia  leuoophrys,  698. 


^ 


<^ 


It  i: 


i       t 

I 

l> 


u.  s. 


U.  8.  NATIONAL  MUSEUM 


Map  o«  the 

PROVINCE  OF   MANITOB 

Showing  the  dMribution  ol  Foreii.  •! 

CompiM  by  ERNt;. .'  E  TM^MPS 


PROCEEDINGS,  VOL.  XIII     PL.  XXXVIil 


t  can  TO 
NORWAY  HOuif.  t 


Map  o(  Itw 

PROVINCE  OF  MANITOBA. 

Showing  lh«  distribution  cf  FotmI,  ale.,  •  1685 

CompiM  bf  ERHU  •'  E  TNI^MPSOli  1890. 


